I Knew It Was Real
by guessesandhunches
Summary: Chihiro has decided it was all a dream, but she can't shake the feeling that it really happened. What's worse, she's slowly beginning to forget the details, including all of the spirits of the bathhouse's names. On her first day of high school, she meets a boy uncannily just like the one in her "dream", and then everything changes from there. (OCs and their back stories.)
1. Chapter 1: The Boy

**Well, this is my first story, so tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away.**

* * *

It was around noon when Chihiro slapped her cap on her head, locked the door, and headed for the bus. She was a latchkey kid with a bus pass, sketchbook, and an imagination.

It was three days before school started, and she wanted to make the most of it. She strode down the hill, got on a bus, and stared out the window and at the blue sky. The dream came again that night. The one where her parents decided to explore an abandoned amusement park (which was really a bathhouse), got turned into pigs at dusk, where spirits came to the bathhouse, where she was saved by a boy…

Chihiro shook her head hard. Dreams only last for twenty minutes, but it felt _so _real. She'd _felt_ the water when she stumbled into the river, she _felt_ the fear of disappearing, and she _felt_ the boy's touch. She felt the anger of the landlady, she heard the cries of the enormous baby, and she _had _ridden on a dragon before! They couldn't just be _dreams_. After all, she remembered them vividly after she first, well, first experienced them.

So many times she'd pestered her parents about the bathhouse, but they kept telling her it was only a dream.

Eventually they began to get worried their daughter had an obsession, and was hallucinating. They took her to psychologists, psychiatrists, and other numerous doctors. So Chihiro dropped the subject, and reluctantly passed them off as a dream. But the feeling that she was forgetting something never left.

She got off the bus, and started her trek towards the bend in the river.

But she had a problem, and it bothered her. For some reason, she couldn't remember their names. The monster spirit, the landlady, the boy. She'd tried guessing their names but none of them felt right. The closest she got was that the boy's name's first character gave "haku". It fit, but it just didn't seem completed. She groaned in frustration as she sat down.

She knew they had names, and she once knew them; but ever since the dream appeared three years ago the details became fuzzy, and eventually forgotten.

She sighed. And then there was a purple hairband. For some reason she clearly and unquestionably remembered the purple hairband. If it _was_ a dream, then the next morning the purple hairband was in her hair. And even more so mysteriously, she felt at peace when she took it out, and moved it through her fingers.

She threw down her eraser in frustration. Slowly going to retrieve it, she decided to walk a bit further down to the river's edge. She felt a smile creep up her face, and she stuck her hand in the water. The river always managed to remind her of details forgotten, and she always seemed to remember the dreams clearer here.

She went back to get her sketchbook and returned to the water's edge.

_What to draw…_ Her expression dulled. _I'll draw the dragon again._

Chihiro's expression lightened as the figure of the dragon danced on the paper. She smiled. She'd drawn him so many times she didn't need to delve into her memory to find him any more.

She smiled, and took of her cap to smooth out her short brown hair, now lightened in areas. She spent so much time here in the sun that the top layer of her hair turned a nice shade of caramel. It was now slowly (in clusters) getting darker as the winters went by and she kept her cap on during the summer. About a year ago she had cut her hair; horrified because she began forgetting what the characters, namely the boy, had looked like. So in one rash hack of the kitchen knife, Chihiro's hair was in a rough bob.

She decided she'd remember the boy's short hair better if she cut her own hair in the same fashion. So she kept the practice up. It was too troublesome to have hairdressers do it, and they never did it quite right. They always made it more feminine looking.

Chihiro looked at her drawing. The dragon was almost finished. She just had to add the landscape. She paused to think.

_How about at night?_ She grinned. This was new. She let her hand move freely, letting it do whatever it wanted. All of her other pictures of the dragon were of her riding him or him flying away into the horizon. Soon, a small house appeared with trees behind it.

Chihiro's eyes furrowed.

She _knew _this place. She _knew _it. She drew herself next to the dragon, hand on his neck. She drew herself as how she looked at the time as best she could with a pencil and shades of gray. She had worn a striped green and white t-shirt, pink-red shorts, and longer hair tied with the purple hairband. She lay her pencil in the grass. She held up her skinny wrist where it lay dangling, and the purple thread almost sparkled in the sunlight.

In the picture, her shoulder was empty, and she knew something was supposed to go there. She studied the picture, and after a while groaned in frustration and threw her eraser again. It went tumbling down the small incline, and landed just before the water.

_Why is this so hard? _She shouted, gritting her teeth. _Why is it so hard to remember dreams like this!? What's supposed to go there? _She groaned again. It had to be something living, because inanimate objects would fall right off and that frankly didn't make any sense. The animal had to be small to fit on her shoulder. She set her sketchbook down and looked to the sky.

_That cloud remotely resembles a tree_. _That one looks like a pig. __That looks like a rat…no not a rat…_she furrowed her eyebrows. _…a really fat mouse._

Chihiro bolted upright. _That's what it was! A mouse! _She began drawing a small outline of a mouse. Soon, a tiny bird ended up on top of it. Chihiro laughed. It was original. A girl with her hand on a dragon in front of a house with a bird and a mouse on her shoulder.

She flipped the page. She'd try drawing the boy again.

The outline came easily, like it always did, but she threw her eraser once again in frustration. _I can never get the mouth right! _She grumbled as she went to fetch her eraser. His bright green eyes didn't show any emotion; but his eyebrows did. His eyes were indifferent, and indifferent she could draw. But for a mouth, any angle of the pencil made a difference. If the pencil was too worn, the mouth was blurry, and if she turned the pencil around, the mouth was a fine line she could barely see or emitted a cold expression.

She groaned in annoyance. _Why is it __**so**__ hard to draw an expressionless mouth?_

She set her sketchbook down, and stared into the water. She dunked her face in.

The water was cool and refreshing, but she didn't feel anything. Chihiro wiped her face on her t-shirt, and lay in the grass. The river didn't only keep her from forgetting the dreams, but it specifically reminded her of the boy and a bit of the dragon. The water was satisfying, and as she let the breeze dry her face, she felt at peace.

She heard the cars go by across the field. The apartments had filled up the main part of the river.

After a while, and having blank thoughts, a rush of feeling overcame her. She wasn't sure what it was exactly, but it was a feeling she had only a few times, and indubitably trusted. It was that feeling one gets when their subconscious has nearly figured something out without one consciously knowing, and when the thought does consciously enter one's mind, it becomes an epiphany.

This was one of those feelings, and in a rush, Chihiro sat up, deftly moved her hand across the page, and was satisfied.

A slight smile.

That worked.

…

Chihiro returned home three hours after she left; which was two hours before her mom got home from work, and three hours before her father did.

She ate a late lunch, set her sketchbook down on her desk, and later helped her mom make dinner. Chihiro and her parents had a quiet dinner, and her dad asked her how much she was looking forward to school.

"I'm not feeling anything special,." She said, stuffing noodles into her mouth. "It's just another year."

"You're starting high school," Her mother said. "I'm still quite proud, and surprised, that you got into the school you did."

"Yes," her dad continued, taking a bite. "And make some friends this time won't you?"

Chihiro muttered an incoherent reply that loosely resembled a 'sure then'.

…

On the first day of school, something interesting did happen.

As all the kids shuffled into the gymnasium for the entrance ceremony, Chihiro spotted a bob haircut. Her eyes narrowed, and she studied the head. It was the boy. It was the boy!

"Hey!" The girl next to her grinned. "Staring at Yamazaki Kohaku?"

"What?" Chihiro's head turned quickly to see a smiling girl. _What kind of rumors might this girl spread? _"I wasn't—"

"Don't worry, don't worry." She said. "I know it wasn't that kind of stare," she grinned again. "More like you were studying a blueprint." She put her hand out. "My name's Airi. Hayashi Airi."

"Nice to meet you Hayashi-san." Chihiro shook the girl's hand. "My name's Ogino Chihiro."

"Can I call you Chihiro-san?" she asked sheepishly.

Chihiro blinked. "Ah, sure."

"Great!" The girl's eyes brimmed with happiness. _What kind of person is she? Doesn't she know if she's too trustworthy…that she'll get hurt?_ "You can call me Airi then!"

"Ah, okay then…Airi-san." Chihiro's words came as a mumble. The room fell into a soft din as who Chihiro assumed was the student council president, walked up to the podium. "What's your homeroom?"

"3-A." Airi said, still smiling. Chihiro's smile drooped a bit. "You?"

"2-A." Chihiro smiled apologetically. "So close, yet so far. Congrats on getting into A class though!"

"You too!" she said, keeping up her bright demeanor. The lights began to dim, and the stage appeared brighter.

"Welcome to Mizuhashi Toyama Prefecture High School, to those returning and new arrivals." She smiled brightly. "As is tradition, I will tell you of the history of the school." A few groans could be heard in the audience. "Twenty-one years ago…"

Chihiro's mind wandered, and she zoned back in on the boy's bob haircut. The color was right, the shape was right… _Just turn your head already! _Chihiro thought impatiently, eager to see his face.

And as if he'd heard her, his head turned to the left. Chihiro's eyes stared, and her mouth dropped into a small 'o' as he locked his gaze onto her eyes.

Chihiro sat back, and his gaze returned forward. _Those same green eyes._ She furrowed her eyebrows. _But they had expression, his eyes, eyebrows, and mouth ALL showed expression…_

The lights came back on, and Chihiro shielded her eyes from the blinding lights on the ceiling.

"Well…" Airi stretched her arms. "I accidentally fell asleep. Did I miss anything important?"

"Nothing much." She said, as the two of them got up and began leaving the gym. She glanced over at the boy, who was looking around.

"Really?" Airi asked, yawning. "I could use another nap though. Well, let's get to class."

Chihiro said nothing, and they headed to their homerooms.

…

Everyone was chattering. Kids that knew each other were catching up, other new extroverted kids had integrated themselves in, and small groups of people formed. Chihiro sat by herself, minding only herself.

"Ogino, Chihiro!"

Chihiro got up and collected her schedule from the teacher's desk. Pairs of eyes looked over at her, and then returned to their business. Chihiro stared out the window and at the blue sky. She imagined the dragon flying up there, surrounded by paper things. Chihiro was still trying to determine what they exactly were. They were fairly humanoid, so... Paper people without legs?

"Yamazaki, Kohaku!"

Chihiro's head snapped forward. _He's in my homeroom? _Her eyes inconspicuously searched the room. She found him silently walking over to the teacher's desk. He sat back down a few rows in front. She warily studied him. He looked _exactly_ like the boy in her dream! His head turned to look at her. She sat back instinctively, and he smiled. After a moment she turned her head elsewhere.

Chihiro went back to stare at the sky. _Kohaku…_

The first bell rang, everyone filed out, and she went to math, which she found to be an easy enough class.

Airi on the other hand, struggled more. After being asked numerous questions she failed to answer correctly, the teacher stopped asking her questions and recommended she get a tutor.

Airi kept her head down for the rest of class, and Chihiro resolved to help her out later.

In their second class they had history, which Airi thrived in. Chihiro managed, but it wasn't as easy, and far less interesting than math. She was decent with numbers, but if they were dates, she was hopeless.

Then they had the break, and that's when she and Airi met Hana.

"Hey you two!" Hana had approached them from behind. Chihiro lightly groaned inwardly, immediately spotting the camera around her neck. All she wanted was peace and quiet. She really wished she could be free from any gossip at least the first week in.

"Hello." Airi said in a relatively soft voice.

"My name's Hana, and I'm a part of the school newspaper staff!" she smiled and snapped a picture.

Chihiro covered her face. "I didn't know we had a newspaper."

"We don't." Hana lowered the camera and winked. "Well, not yet anyway. Can I ask we ask you some questions?"

"Sure!" Airi smiled brightly.

"Wait," Chihiro interrupted, wary of this girl. "_We?_"

"Yup," Hana said, and gestured for us to get up. "I'll introduce you to the rest of our members."

Hana led the two of them through a series of hallways, staircases, and eventually led them to the roof. As she opened the door, Chihiro immediately recognized the bob haircut.

"Yamazaki-kun." Chihiro noted, and Kohaku looked up in surprise. Chihiro noticed his eyebrows were the ones showing all the expression this time. "I didn't know you were in the newspaper club."

All the members were thoroughly engrossed in something. They were sitting in a circle around a stack of papers talking amongst themselves. Hana nudged her. "So you know Kohaku-kun, yeah?"

Chihiro forced herself to calm down, and keep from getting too defensive. "He's in my homeroom. I see you know him, too."

"Yeah we're buds!" Hana threw her arm around Kohaku and gave him a friendly side hug. "He used to go to my old school!"

"I was only there for a term though." Kohaku finished. Chihiro's neck prickled. _The voice matches._ Chihiro blinked, and Kohaku smiled. Hana went to join the rest of the group. "You're Ogino Chihiro-san, right?"

"How'd you know my name?" Chihiro asked, tensing and retracting. Airi went to join Hana, leaving Chihiro and Kohaku by themselves on the roof.

"Don't worry," he said. "I only know because you're in my homeroom, and…" he trailed off.

"And?" Chihiro prompted suspiciously. Her cautious attitude was probably evident to him.

He hesitated and began to speak, but the bell rang.

"That's for another time, I guess," He said smiling. "Class is about to start. Can I walk you over?"

* * *

**I know the genre and summary have "Adventure" in it and that Kohaku barely made an appearance, but those things apply in the chapters to come. :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Remembering Things

**Sorry the beginning is a bit of a slow read.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away.**

"Okay." Chihiro warily agreed to Kohaku's offer. Boys didn't just offer to walk her to class for nothing. _I bet he just wants a favor from me. _She mentally chided herself. _Besides, just because he looks like, like __**him**__, doesn't prove he's who he appears to be._ A small voice in her head continued. _Not yet anyway._

Airi had her next class with Hana, so the pairs left in opposite directions.

"Where to?" he asked, bring in Chihiro out of her thoughts.

"4-A," she said, reaching for the stair door, but Kohaku took it from her before she got to it. He gestured. Chihiro replied awkwardly. "Oh, thanks."

Suspicion arose in her. _He's nice. A __**boy **__is being __**nice**__ to __**me**__. _This was a first. _Girls _that were kind to her, even superficially, were unusual.

"The lab right?" he asked. "Great, I'm going there too."

"Ah," Chihiro paused. She wasn't sure how to keep the conversation running. "It's the first day of school, how did a newspaper club already get established?"

"It's not exactly a club, and we're not established." he said, and continued to explain. "Hana and a group of her friends from her old school found each other before and during the break, and invited me to come. They planned to meet on the rooftop and start talking about establishing a newspaper club before registering starts next week."

"I see." Chihiro hesitated. She was about to ask something else, but they'd arrived at the classroom.

They walked in ready to pick their seats when they noticed the seating chart on the first table. Kohaku walked to the left side of the room and took his seat next to another girl he began acquainting himself with. Chihiro sat down in the back to the right.

She lay her head on the table on top of her crossed arms. It was around this time two years ago she determined she wouldn't trust anyone.

"_Setsuna-chan, Kairi-chan, Yuki-chan, did you finish copying the notes?" Her younger self waved her so-called friends over._

"_Sorry, Chihiro-chan! Not yet, can I borrow it a little longer?"_

"_Me too, I'm almost done!"_

"_I had dance practice, I'll be sure to finish it soon!"_

_Her dejected self replied, "Tomorrow then? I need them for the history project."_

Her friends had earnestly nodded, promising to return it a few days later.

The next day at lunch her friends approached her.

"_Chihiro-chan, can I have one of your rice balls? I'm really hungry."_

_Her small self shook her head. "Sorry Yuki-chan. I'm also hungry. These are my granny's special salted plums. She's sick and doesn't get to make them often."_

"_But if they're so special," Setsuna had replied. "Shouldn't you share them with us?"_

The next day at lunch, she had forgotten her lunch in the classroom. However, she absentmindedly made a wrong turn, spotting her friends selling photocopies of her notes.

"_Chihiro-chan!" Yuki spluttered. "This isn't what—"_

_Kairi put her hand on the girl's shoulder, and regretfully said. "We shouldn't lie any more, Yuki-chan."_

"_So," Chihiro muttered. "How long has this been going?"_

_Setsuna's head was down. "For about three and a half months."_

_Chihiro's heart sank, and her anger rose. "So two weeks after you met me…You didn't want to be my friends." She stopped, and began again quietly. "You were just using me."_

"_Sorry, Chihiro-san." Yuki had sorrowfully mourned._

Her younger self had run off in tears.

Chihiro stared out the window. _They weren't sorry. They were just sorry they got caught. _She'd always been bad at making friends. At her old school, many of them were just acquaintances she'd lost touch with; even the friends who bought the bouquet for her the couple years ago.

She buried her head in her arms. And then, like her father had asked, she tried making friends. Setsuna, Yuki, and Kairi even approached her, shared their lunches within the first week, and then she'd found out they were just using her.

_It's not worth the risk._ Chihiro thought to herself. _But then again, today was different._

Airi and Hana were different. Airi was naïve—she trusted Chihiro almost immediately with her failures and dreams for life. Hana, Chihiro couldn't really explain it, but she had a hunch-her hunches were often right- that Hana was a good kid.

The only long-term faithful friend she'd ever really remembered was her roommate from the dreams. Tall, smart, funny, and she'd actually gone out of her way and cared for her well being. She stuck around. Even when Chihiro dragged her into her own problems at the bathhouse.

Chihiro sighed. But the boy and her roommate couldn't possibly be real. _But hypothetically speaking,_ a small smile appeared on her face. _Without hesitation I'd call them friends._

"Hey," the boy sitting behind her tapped her shoulder. "Could you pick up my pencil for me?"

"Uh, oh yeah, sure," Chihiro stammered, awkwardly fingering the pencil. "Ah, here you go." She clumsily handed the boy his pencil.

"Thanks."

She faced forward again, face slightly flushed. _Why is talking to people so hard?_

At the lunch break Chihiro's assignment book was filled up, and Airi needed help in another subject.

"What subject is it?" Chihiro asked. The two walked toward their usual eating spot behind the two trees.

"Art." She muttered glumly. "And here I am wishing I can open a studio later in life."

Chihiro stopped in her tracks, and quietly hissed, "_Art_?"

Head still down, Airi fingered her new sketchbook and mumbled, "She just wanted me to learn how to draw people faster and more anatomically realistic. She says I have to work on shadows too."

"Oh." Chihiro said a bit softer. "Sorry, I jumped to conclusions. I, I automatically assumed this school did watercolors and crayons or something."

"Well, at least she said my still life was good," Airi said dejectedly.

Chihiro decided not to say any more. The two of them sat down by the tree.

_I hope I didn't hurt her feelings. _She took a bite out of her rice ball and silently shrieked as the bitter taste spread through her mouth. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she swallowed the dried persimmon piece from her rice ball. An odd sense of déjà vu nagged at her.

_My first dried persimmon, and it's bitter. Must've not been ripe before it was cut open and dried. _Chihiro grumbled a bit. _Mom paid a lot of money for those. _Chihiro's mind began to think hard. _Why does this taste so familiar though?_

"There you are!" Hana peeked from in between the two trees startling Chihiro and Airi, which Chihiro noticed was feeling a bit better.

"Heey…" Hana drew out the 'e'. "Whatcha looking so down for, kiddo?"

"It's nothing," Chihiro said quickly. Although she could trust Hana, she wasn't sure if she could bank on Hana not telling other people.

"What," Hana said sounding a bit hurt. "You don't trust me?"

"It's not that," Chihiro replied quickly. _That's not what I meant! Can't you tell it's a personal issue though? _"I only meant that—"

"Chihiro, it's okay," Airi said, smiling a bit, putting her hand on her shoulder. "Hana can know."

Hana still looked hurt, but listened to Airi explain her need of an art tutor. Slowly, Hana began to break into a smile, and Chihiro's wariness began rising again.

And then Hana surprised her.

"Oh, PAH!" She said, throwing her head back, and displaying a bright smile. "Don't let Suzuki sensei get to you. She's actually not that bad." she winked.

"Wait, you already had her?" Airi asked. "Are you a second year? Because in the schedules all first years have art the class right before and after lunch."

Hana looked surprised. "No, no, of course not," She shook her head. "She used to be my neighbor. Besides, I enrolled for Performing Arts; which was last class for me."

Airi's eyes widened. "_Neighbor_?" Hana began to laugh. Hana began talking again, but Chihiro noticed that Airi was feeling better; so she decided that Hana wasn't one of "those" people after all. Chihiro smiled.

"Anyhow, come join us at the rooftop." Hana said. Chihiro instinctively hesitated, but Hana quickly added, "Someone wants to see you."

Chihiro's eyebrows furrowed, but Airi had gotten up, so she slowly began gathering her things.

"So how is the art program anyway?" Chihiro asked the two of them as they headed to the roof. "I enrolled here specifically for it—so I'd like to know how it is."

"Well, performing arts is a lot of fun." Hana said. "We get to nearly run the whole show. On Fridays they said they'd teach us about the lights and backstage work, and every first Wednesday of the month an actor comes to give us a workshop. Isn't it great?" Hana began to drone on, and Chihiro smiled. _I wonder if this is how friends that aren't roommates are really supposed to be lijke._

"Yeah, it's really good," Airi said. "She's not a bad teacher, she's organized, today she let use most of the time to exert creativity, and as you can see," she held up her sketchbook with a bright smile. "We get a sketchbook. Isn't it great?"

Chihiro laughed. As the door opened, Chihiro instantly noticed there were only three kids on the rooftop. A girl, boy, and Kohaku were sitting around a group of papers.

"Hello Yamazaki-kun. Himeko-san. Otori-kun." Airi waved to each of them.

At the sight of Kohaku, Chihiro spoke what she was wondering in the moment.

"Yamazaki-kun," she said. "Hana said you went to her school for a term. May I ask which one it was, and why only for a term?"

"Yeah," Hana added, once again drawing out the vowels. "Why did you only come for the second term? It was smack dab in the middle of the year—not to mention you were absent a lot."

Kohaku looked up from the papers, and seemed a bit surprised at her question. "Ah, well, that's because I was, my family was moving around a lot at the time. My dad's work. He's in the military."

"Ah, okay." Hana resolutely replied, clearly satisfied with his answer. "I just hope you stay longer this time around."

Chihiro's eyebrows rose. _He __**clearly**__ does not know how to lie convincingly._

A new boy whom Chihiro had never seen before walked through the rooftop door. He stopped in his tracks and stared at Kohaku.

"Yamazaki-kun," he began. "Is that _you_?"

Kohaku blinked, his composed aura leaving him. "Sato-kun. What are you doing here? I last saw you last year in Hokkaido." Chihiro noticed he shut his mouth quickly after that, but it didn't keep her astonishment in.

"_Hokkaido?_" Chihiro exclaimed. "That's incredibly north from here!"

The boy nodded. "I only recognized you because you were the school's kendo prodigy. At least for the last term. You rose up quickly in the ranks."

This time it was Hana's turn to be surprised. "_Kendo prodigy_?"

The boy nodded. "I remember you got sick a lot. I'm glad you're feeling better though." He continued. "Anyway, I just came to bring Ino—" Hana cut him off with a sharp glare, and he sighed. "Fine, _Hana-san_, some papers." He pushed the papers toward her, which she absentmindedly took, and the boy promptly left. Hana tossed the sheets of paper onto the pile.

Chihiro's mind raced. _Last term, last year, absent a lot…he was school hopping?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when Hana began panicking.

"Oh no!" she cried. Everyone's heads snapped up and looked at Hana in her sudden cry of anguish. "I left my camera by the tree!"

"You didn't have your camera when you came to talk to us though." Airi said, frowning. "You must've left it in class."

"So I either left it in the Auditorium or math." She groaned.

"It may be in the lost and found also." Another girl said. "Or it got turned into the office; especially if it was _your_ camera."

"Maybe, Himeko-chan." Hana groaned. "I'm going to go look."

"I'll help." Airi and the girl said simultaneously. The boy also agreed, and as just as Chihiro began to offer her help, the door had slammed shut behind the four of them.

"They'll be fine." Kohaku said. "Besides, I wanted to ask you something." He sat back down by his lunch, also rice balls. Chihiro followed, and began eating her lunch too.

It was odd. No matter how much she tried to guard herself against him, it just simply didn't work. He had this natural air of honesty about him. She could sense no manipulation, and Hana and Airi seemed to like him enough.

"Want one?" he held up a rice ball.

"Sure, do you want one of mine?" Chihiro thought it was common courtesy. "Though I should warn you the dried persimmon is bitter."

"Sure, thanks."

The two bit into the exchanged rice balls, and tears sprung to Chihiro's eyes. Chihiro's watery eyes widened in shock, and kept her face down. _Am I __**crying**__?_

"Are you alright?" Kohaku asked, leaning forward to get a better look. Chihiro impulsively looked away, ceasing to eat the mysterious rice ball that held so much reminiscence. Kohaku continued. "What's wrong?"

Images ran through Chihiro's mind.

_"Meet me at the bridge. I'll take you to see your parents."_

The image changed.

"_Mom! Dad! Are you alright? It's me Sen!"_

"_Here, eat this, you must be hungry."_

"_Thank you Haku, you're a good friend."_

Chihiro's head snapped up, tears still coming. _That must've been the boy's name! Haku! _Chihiro noticed Kohaku was staring at her oddly, and she replied in a mundane fashion. "It's nothing." Chihiro said, trying to keep her voice from choking. "It just tastes so familiar."

She could see Kohaku nod out of the corner of her eye. "I'd like to ask, where did you taste my rice ball before?"

Chihiro bit her lip. _Who's going to be crazy enough to believe I tasted it in a dream?_

Kohaku began again in Chihiro's absence of an answer. "Was this the first time you've had dried persimmon?"

Chihiro shook her head, tears beginning to recede. "Yeah. They're expensive, so this was my first time trying them. I think this one wasn't ripe when it was dried though."

"Is the taste familiar?"

Chihiro looked up, eyes furrowed at Kohaku. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm just wondering." He said. "Have you ever been to—" He was interrupted by the bell. "What class do you have next?"

"Art." Chihiro said, still puzzled by his questions, but his last unfinished one seemed to be trouble her the most. "And you don't have to walk me to class, it's alright."

"I'm sorry I couldn't even if I wanted." He smiled, but spoke dismally. "The gym is on the other side of the campus."

Chihiro left the roof first, and began rushing to class. _I'm rather glad he's not walking me to class. I received enough odd glances the first time._

As Chihiro walked through the door, her eyes widened in awe.

It was spacious, and it looked like a small warehouse. The windows were from the ceiling and Chihiro calculated that at any point in time the sunlight would only touch the end rows at most. The tables were put together so four at a time would sit facing each other. Large sketchbooks lay on tables at each seat, and a few drawings of previous classes were hung about the room.

"Come on everyone, pick a seat and start drawing!" a woman's voice rang cheerfully from the front of the room. Their teacher had a purple smock, dark red hair up in a messy bun, and glasses on a (plastic) jeweled chain hanging from her neck. "The assignment is written on the overhead!"

Chihiro smiled, and her eyes shone as she took her seat near the mid-front. _This really is a great art school. _She looked to the overhead, and she smiled broadly.

"Draw anything you want."

Chihiro was going to draw the dragon again.

As she was drawing, a sense of alarm rose in her. _I forgot how Haku and the dragon are connected. _Her mind raced. _Was the dragon a pet? _Chihiro shook her head. _He doesn't seem like a pet…A mentor? A partner?_ _A friend? _Chihiro grumbled inwardly. _Augh, my forgetful memory! I guess I'll see if I can remember anything at the river—and hope in the meantime I don't forget anything else._

She quickly finished the dragon. The room was nearly filled up.

"Can I sit here?"

"Huh, what?" Chihiro looked up. "Oh, ah, yeah, sure, go ahead." The boy pulled out the chair, and began drawing. Chihiro returned to her sketchbook red-faced. _Why am I so bad at talking to people?_

Five minutes later, Chihiro produced an acceptable landscape for herself. The dragon was flying over the water and among the clouds. Chihiro sighed. It looked just like all her other pictures of the dragon. She wanted something new.

An idea popped into her head, and she began erasing chunks of the clouds away to leave room for the second creature.

"All right," Suzuki sensei began. "You've had a good chunk of time to draw, so I'll be going around in a few moments to look at your creations."

_Shoot._ Chihiro flipped a page. _I'll quickly draw something else._

Without warning, Chihiro's head began pounding; and images from her dreams poured in, reminding her of details forgotten. She remembered how Haku, boiler man, and her roommate helped her get a job with the landlady. She remembered how all the other spirits didn't want her because she smelled. She remembered that the boiler man gave a roasted newt to help persuade her roommate to help her out. She even remembered she rode in the elevator with a radish spirit.

Chihiro's hand involuntarily sketched the landlady.

Chihiro's face flushed, and she tilted her sketchbook towards the sensei.

"Sorry, did I take too long?" she asked timidly.

"No, it's fine," the teacher began. "Interesting picture. What gave you the idea to draw this?"

"Ah," Chihiro said. "Nothing really."

"I see." Chihiro shrunk back. The teacher no longer held the friendly, bright air she had when all of the students walked into the room. At that point, everyone had gone back to their drawings, quickly adding details before she reached them.

The rest of art class went relatively well. Suzuki sensei showed them how she wanted the sketchbooks divided. Classwork, homework, and free. Chihiro was very happy the free portion was bigger than the other two.

The rest of school was nothing special; Chihiro had gym last.

And as a latchkey kid, she had the afternoon to do what she wanted. She'd managed to get her books from her locker and finish up all her homework.

She boarded the bus, and she smiled. _Let's see if the river has anything for me today._

And while Chihiro was just expecting peace and quiet, the river let her meet a certain boy there as well.


	3. Chapter 3: Confirming and the Threat

**Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away, but a copy is sitting on my shelf.**

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Chihiro's mouth dropped open as she stared at Kohaku sitting on the bank.

_What's he doing here for? _Sure it wasn't private property, but she'd enjoyed the quiet and relative privacy during her previous visits. She sighed, and went back down the hill to secretly make her way to another part of the river.

Making sure she was out of view, she made her way around the hill; settling on a steeper side where if she looked back far enough, she could see the city below.

"Ah, that's better." Chihiro sat down and grunted feeling satisfied.

She sat down, and began drawing everything she'd remembered. The boiler man, her roommate, the radish spirit, and at the end, she drew Haku again.

_I'll refine them at home_. She set her open sketchbook, pencil, and eraser to the side. She lay down on the grass, and put her feet in the water.

After a few moments, her quiet was interrupted.

"I thought you might be here."

Chihiro bolted upright, and yanked her feet out of the water as she jerked into a clumsy sitting "ready" stance.

Kohaku held his hands up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Chihiro exhaled (quite audibly), and lay on her elbows behind her. "How'd you manage to find me?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "You mean you were hiding from me?"

"No, I didn't mean that," she quickly said. "But out of the entire river, why'd you pick this spot?"

He shrugged his shoulders and said simply, "Because I thought you were here."

Her eyes widened, and she began to scoot away. _Were you __**looking **__for me?_

"Nevermind," he searched for words. "I just thought you'd be here. Don't panic."

Chihiro slowly let herself relax, and then her expression hardened as she scolded herself. _What are you doing just sitting there? He just said something creepy and you're just going to sit there like __**nothing**__ happened?_

_Yes, _The little voice retorted. _I __**am**__._

"Can I see your sketchbook?" Kohaku asked. Chihiro's hand instinctively moved to lay guarded over it, and she began to edge away again. He began to reach for it. "I won't laugh or tell anyone, I just want to see."

Chihiro moved her sketchbook farther away. "I know that." Somehow he managed to grasp it from behind her.

He flipped open the first page and she cringed.

"I wasn't done with that." she growled. "I haven't finished."

Kohaku's eyes opened wider.

"Hey," she started, more worried about him than her picture now. "Are you okay?"

Chihiro thought he may have whispered something under his breath, but she wasn't sure. An instant later, he asked disquietedly, "Are there any more?"

"Yes," Chihiro replied. "But they're not refined yet and—" he'd already flipped the page, and repeated what he muttered under his breath the first time. Concerned, she began reaching for her sketchbook to see what he might be seeing. "What is it? Does it look bad?"

After a while, he spoke again, but she couldn't see his eyes. "No," His voice was hollow, and Chihiro retracted her moving hands. "You remembered. You do remember. Even after all that—you really are the Chihiro I'm looking for."

"What?" She backed away, but unlike she normally would, she didn't get up and start running. "You've been _looking _for me?"

Kohaku reached for her retreating hand to try and stop her. "No, I didn't mean that, I just—"

"No," for some reason, aggression built up in Chihiro. "I get to ask the questions now. Why are you asking if lunch tasted familiar? When I said it did, why did you want to know where from? What does it matter to you if I've had dried persimmon before? _I'm_ still wondering _why_ it's so familiar!" she stood up angrily. "Why do you keep offering to walk me to class? Boys don't do that often, much less to me." She pointed to herself, and as she remembered something, it gave her ammunition to continue her rant; interrupting Kohaku in the process. She began inching closer again. "Also! You didn't finish asking me a question at lunch. Something about where I've been, and it stuck out to me and has been popping up arbitrarily in my mind. How did you know I was here? Why have you been going school hopping? Why have you been absent so often? _And why are you and your rice balls so familiar!_" Chihiro ended red-faced and in Kohaku's face.

Chihiro's eyes widened, and she retracted as quickly as she'd come; looked away remorsefully, and began apologizing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. I'm bad with people; I'm sorry I lost my temper."

"No, it's fine." Kohaku held up his hand, asking her to stop. His face was down so his bangs covered his eyes. His voice was no longer that soft or light, but almost cold. "Sit down. I'll explain everything."

Chihiro sat down without a second thought, looked over, and listened.

"I'm connected to the river." his face was now a bit higher, but looking into the water. "That's how I knew you were here. I'm a river spirit."

Chihiro's head stared into the river. _Haku. Ko-ha-ku. The Kohaku river, _Chihiro would've slapped her forehead. _How could I have been so incredibly __**stupid**__? _"While I was looking at your sketchbook, I muttered, 'So she does remember.'" He paused. "The reason the rice balls I made are familiar, the reason why _I'm_ familiar, is because we've met before. I've _made_ you these same rice balls before." Oddly, he seemed hurt when he said those phrases; and Chihiro felt worse.

"And once I tried your dried persimmon onigiri, I knew it tasted very similar to the berry I gave you the first time we met to keep you from disappearing."

Chihiro's eyes widened. _It's my dream. I remember this happened in my dream!_

Kohaku continued his explanation. "At lunch, I was going to ask you if you'd ever been to a bathhouse. If you said no, it would affirm that you'd either forgotten, or deemed it something your mind conjured up. I kept offering to walk you to class because I wanted to get to know you better, to know if it was really you who I was looking for."

He continued on a slightly harsher and possibly even desperate tone. "I don't know why you haven't asked if we've met before; your pictures tell me you haven't forgotten us and our world completely. Therefore, it makes me think you've passed it as a figment of your imagination, or even a simple dream."

The severity of his voice increased. "Your wariness of me is startling, you were quite trusting the first, and for that matter, the second time we met—and I wonder what could've possibly happened to make you this way."

Chihiro's arms folded on her bent knees. Her head was about to rest hidden in her arms, but his sudden and drastic change in tone startled Chihiro, and her arms returned to her side. His voice was incredibly soft, yet the sincerity was nearly palpable. He put his right hand on her left, and he looked into her eyes. "But I am so sorry it took me this long to find you."

Memories judged as dreams swirled in her mind. Chihiro's voice faltered as everything began fit into place. "Haku, you didn't just," Haku looked up in surprise at the mention of his other name. "You really didn't just go school hoping to find me, did you?"

She looked into his eyes, and without him nodding, she saw reaffirmation.

"You didn't even quit school after you couldn't find me. You started school hopping. You were always absent, because you couldn't stay long without Spirit food." Memories were still running through her, and she began talking faster as she remembered more.

"And," Chihiro added, realizing something. "The only reason you joined a sports team and bothered getting good at it was to get attention." Chihiro inhaled. "On the slim chance I'd possibly find, remember, and care about your new fame." Chihiro's heartfelt empathetic face was once again inches from Haku's.

"You endured this for _five years_, just so you could find me again!" Chihiro wouldn't stop talking. "It took this long because you didn't know my last name or where I lived. You traveled all over Japan enrolling yourself in multiple schools every term for five years, and got to know all the Chihiros you met, all to find me!"

Chihiro looked at Haku with a newfound deep gratitude.

Haku's cheeks flushed a bit, and the corners of his mouth bent downward. "I, I made a promise." Haku stammered. "I really just wanted to—"

"You put yourself in the spotlight, knowing a single mistake with the teachers and authorities could blow all of it while depriving yourself of comfort."

However, Chihiro's confession wasn't over. Haku was about to comfort her, but she continued speaking before he could. "And all I really thought about was how unnaturally friendly you were and that you'd just be trying to use me!"

"Hey, it's okay," Haku was backing up. He didn't quite expect this much of an emotion flood from her. "Now that you know the truth and remember everything, it's fine."

Her dreams flooded in her mind again as her toes dipped in the water. An image of Haku feeding her the berry formed in her mind, and she pushed her feet farther into the water so it was up to her ankles. A scene of her and Lin eating a dumpling ran through her mind. _Lin!_ Chihiro nearly began crying again as more memories of the two of them were remembered. _Feeding the soot, the big tub, No Face…_

The last of her memories of Granny showed up, and Chihiro became conscious of something long forgotten. Haku smiled kindly at her.

Haku wasn't just a friend. She had loved him.

And she just recognized him now.

Taking him by surprise, Chihiro hugged Haku, and slowly, his arms tenderly circled around her.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I am so sorry I almost forgot you."

"It's an unfortunate effect after an absence of the Spirit World and the consumption of its food." He said. Chihiro broke away, but Haku kept his arm around her shoulders. "You remembered a lot more after you ate the rice ball though, didn't you?"

"How could I have forgotten?" Chihiro whispered distressed, and hugged her knees.

"It's just a side effect." He spoke comfortingly, and moved his hand to her head.

"But we did so much, together, with Lin, and Yubaba," Chihiro faltered, and looked at Haku's face. "No wonder I remembered more when I was here!" But as her mind conjured up her next thought, her heart sank.

"What is it?" He leaned forward to look at her face.

"It's just," She turned away. "Where I usually go was the biggest part of the river I could find. So I'm just wondering why, why," she couldn't bring herself to say it. For four and a half years he'd endured this world on the slight chance he'd find her, two years having been forced to survive on their food; and this was assuming she even remembered him. But, Chihiro looked back at Haku's face. _No matter how ungrateful it sounds, he deserves to know._ And with a deep breath, Chihiro finished. "Since this was the biggest part of your river I could find, why didn't you ever talk to me?"

Even after what Chihiro had just said, she didn't hide her face.

Haku's expression was inexpressible. "It's because my river is so small now. Ever since the apartments filled up that much of it, I haven't been able to talk with anyone." He looked at the ground. "But when I did sense your presence, I did try. I remember a month or so before Yubaba released me from my contract you came to my river in such despair. I tried to talk with you again," Chihiro noticed he looked happier as he remembered. "And I was actually able to carry out a conversation with you. I remember you were so surprised." they both began to smile.

"Four springs ago," Chihiro said, also remembering. "That was when I started to become so reclusive. It was when I found out my so-called friends were just using me. But yes, I felt you were there also. But by then I'd already passed it off as a dream," Chihiro looked at the clouds sadly. "And all of you were slowly becoming distant memories."

"But," a small smile formed on her face. "I felt a similar, protective, warm aura around me, and that was when I remembered your face again. But all I could manage were three words. And then," she began smiling again. "And then you responded back."

Haku just smiled, and Chihiro wiped away the remaining water from her eyes. "I'm sorry I'm crying—I thought I'd have learned by now to keep my emotions under control." She smiled shamefacedly. "I never did thank you enough for all your help when I broke out sobbing or panicking every time you saw me. You remember how big of a crybaby I was back then."

"Back then was five years ago. And everyone's like that at some point in time." Haku moved the hair out of her face. "Your hair is just like mine now. Why'd you cut it?"

Chihiro sheepishly touched the ends of her hair, and averted her gaze from Haku. "So I wouldn't forget what you looked like."

This seemed to take him by surprise the most. "What?"

"Well, this was about a year ago. I'd been forgetting to the point I'd forgotten what your hair looked like. And so I chopped it off with a kitchen knife." She started laughing at Haku's surprised face. "I've realized the hairdressers never do it quite right—they make it too feminine." Chihiro's grin faded a bit as she looked to the sky again. "But I really have to thank you for keeping your promise."

Suddenly, Chihiro backed up a bit to give Haku some space. "This place must reek to you. I must really stink after being here for five years again."

Haku shook his head. "After four and a half years I've gotten used to it. Besides, I think I smell like all of you now. Everyone at the bathhouse has been polite enough to bear it—except Lin. The first time I came back she said I stuck as bad as that contaminated river spirit." He smiled. "And then she said I'd better come back satisfied next time."

Chihiro laughed. "I think Lin was just being Lin." Her smile left. "But four and a half years," Chihiro said. "Yubaba gave you that much trouble, did she?"

"Six months pretty good compared to some of the other workers that have left."

"How is everyone else in the Spirit World anyway?" Chihiro asked as the two of them lay down in the grass. "How's Lin, Yubaba, Granny, Boh, and Kamaji?"

"Last I checked they're doing alright, but I haven't seen them for almost a year."

Chihiro's eyes snapped open, and she sat upright so she could get a good look at Haku. "_Almost a year?_" she said incredulously.

Haku's eyes grew sinister. "The gate to the Spirit World closed."

Chihiro was even more shocked. "It _closed_?"

Haku sat forward. "About a year and eight months ago I only found an empty field," He paused. "But about six months ago at the autumn equinox, I was able to find the gate. However, when I went through it, instead of finding the bathhouse, I found myself on the other side of the Spirit World and on the other side of Swamp Bottom—miles from Zeniba's house. Moreover, it's flooded. I also found out the only times I could enter were at dawn on the day of the solstices, and at dusk on the equinoxes."

"Why not just fly yourself to the bathhouse?" Chihiro asked.

Haku didn't say anything. He turned away and hid his face. It was Chihiro's turn to lean forward.

"I can't change into a dragon anymore."

Chihiro was speechless at first. "Haku, I'm so sorry." She began a bit after. "So you've been here ever since?" Chihiro remembered her time in the Spirit World was not easy. She realized something horrifying. "You had to eat our food." She stared at Haku. "You weren't just absent because you needed food—you really did get sick didn't you?"

Haku nodded seriously. "Yes, I did get sick."

"Your body's not used to this world, and you've had to ration food; especially when you're travelling farther from the gate." Her eyebrows furrowed. "You got sick from our food and our pollution—"

"Haku," Chihiro began dangerously. "As a spirit, you won't die, but that's in the Spirit World,"

Chihiro noticed Haku was beginning to realize what she was getting to. Chihiro interrupted him again.

"You're in _my _world." Chihiro grimly verified her suspicions. "You can die here, can't you?"

He didn't say anything, but just nodded. "That's also why I have to get back to the spirit world at the summer solstice. But I need to tell you what I found when I entered at the fall equinox.

"When I entered the Spirit World again, I was greeted by an enemy—but that's not important. What's important is that I met a wind spirit kind enough to tell me where I was, and what had happened." He sucked in his breath. "And when I found out, I wasn't happy."

Chihiro had never heard Haku this menacing before. "What, what happened?"

"I ran into a henchman of Nikushimi's. The one named Ikari."

"Nikushimi?" Chihiro asked.

Haku nodded. "You remember when Yubaba sent me to steal Zeniba's seal? Often on my previous missions she sent me to dispose of Nikushimi's henchmen. She's one of the most powerful spirits in the Spirit World, and regrettably, evil. Her henchman was the enemy I was able to escape from when I ventured into Swamp Bottom.

"The wind spirit told me," he continued. "Nikushimi switched the gates to let her greatest deputies in. Apparently she sent them out years ago to carry out vengeance on the earth, and now she wants them back to carry out the destruction of the bathhouse.

"However, they're stuck in Berlin," Haku noticed Chihiro's expression. "Yes, there is a gate in Berlin—there are two more in Europe, I believe. Anyway, Nikushimi has been planning an attack on the bathhouse for quite some time, and Nikushimi wants those particular agents to finish the offense during the winter solstice—that's when every spirit's power is the weakest.

"So to make things faster and easier for her henchmen, while keeping me out, Nikushimi switched the gates."

"Wait," Chihiro said. "Why would Nikushimi want to attack on the winter solstice? Isn't her power at its weakest on that day, too?"

He shook his head. "That's why everyone fears her. Somehow, right after you left,"

_Is it just me,_ Chihiro thought, growing anxious. _Or is he shaking?_

"Somehow she stole Zeniba's seal."

"_She_ _took Granny's seal?_" Chihiro began feeling enraged.

Haku somberly nodded. "To switch the gates and draw on the seal's power during the winter solstice. That's what Yubaba gave me so much trouble over. As my last job and a favor to her sister, she sent me to go retrieve it from Nikushimi's lieutenant. But after six months, I was able to return it to Zeniba, and Yubaba let me go to find you."

"But as you can see," he began again. "She managed to get the seal back, or by some means switch the gates and even close them after her deputies entered at the summer solstice last year. Somehow she knew I was here and attempted to keep me out of the picture and here in your world." His eyes were fixed darkly on the ground. "So I'm glad I found you when I did."

"What do you mean?" Chihiro asked.

"Ever since I realized I could enter on the cross quarters, I knew I had to find you before the summer solstice—"

"So you could go back and check on and warn everyone." Chihiro finished.

Haku nodded.

"But I still don't understand something." Chihiro said. "Why didn't Nikushimi attack on last year's winter solstice?"

"You see, her henchmen have been carrying out her wishes here for about a decade now. They're tired and exhausted, and they'd recover faster if they were in the Spirit World. Six months isn't enough for them to recover after ten years' worth of fatigue. So she's had to wait until this year to attack to bathhouse."

Chihiro realized something. "That's also why you need to get back to the Spirit World by the summer solstice. You need to make it back to the bathhouse, recover, and stop Nikushimi from attacking the bathhouse six months later."

Haku slightly nodded. "That brings me to the second reason I came here." He looked critically into Chihiro's eyes. "I'm going to need someone to hold my anchor while I'm fighting Nikushimi, and I'd like it to be you."

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and please leave a review! :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Old Feelings in the Anchor

**Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away, but the copy is still sitting on my shelf.**

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"Your anchor?" Chihiro asked quizzically. "What's that?"

"Technically there are two parts to an anchor-there's the main and the secondary. An anchor is something that keeps you grounded, and keeps from giving in. In some cases, it can help you in your struggle." He explained. "Facing Nikushimi is probably one the hardest things I'm going to do in life. Exactly as her name means, she's a spirit of hate, and her lieutenants and deputies are called desolation, despair, agony, pain, and every other unpleasant emotion. As I'm fighting all her subordinates, and eventually her herself, I'm going to need something to keep me from breaking. Nikushimi and her underlings attack physically, but then as you begin to grow weary they attack your mind. They plant seeds of hopelessness and the desire to surrender in you. And in your weariness, you can't defend yourself from it, and you collapse from fatigue or insanity.

"In your mental struggle, all of your memories are running through your mind, and the anchor is supposed to in a sense, 'snap out of it', it brings you back to reason and brings you to remember your initial purpose. Because that's an anchor's purpose, you plant your anchor in something precious, a hope, or a dream, or _something_ or in most critical cases, _someone_, important that you l—you plant your anchor in something important." Haku finished shortly and somewhat red faced.

"So it's kind of like a failsafe." Chihiro said in an analytical frame of mind, completely overlooking Haku's mumbling at the end. "What do I do as your anchor?"

Haku seemed a bit surprised, but it faded as quickly as it'd come, and was replaced with a somewhat relieved expression. "I'm going to give you a small metal something that reminds you of me, and you're to keep it safe, and," Haku's face for some reason began growing red again. "And not forget me."

This struck an odd note in Chihiro.

"What is it?" Haku asked. "Should I, should I ask someone else?"

"No, no," Chihiro said quickly. "I'm happy to do it. And I hope I'm not offending you when I say this, but it just seems too easy."

"What do you mean?" Haku asked.

"I mean, if you're facing Nikushimi and her cronies, and they fight the way you explained they do—Haku, you just told me something horrifying, and if an anchor is that critical to your sanity and the outcome of the battle," she searched for words, and her brain switched gears. She began critically thinking. "If the anchor is that vital, why am I only to keep it safe? Obviously I'm going to remember you after all this, and I'm definitely going to come back here often. I mean, what I'm trying to say is that you said anchors could help; there must be something I can do as well as keep it safe."

Haku didn't say anything.

"No, that's all you need to do." He said, and smiled warmly. Chihiro could sense the anxiety in his voice.

"What do you mean by that?" Chihiro asked. "What do you mean that's all I need to do? This isn't a question about _need_, but _can_ I do anything else."

Haku sighed, and Chihiro guessed he was regretting his words. "I wanted you to be my anchor for multiple reasons, one being Nikushimi can't send her minions after you without a lot of trouble while you're here—so I know you're safe, especially since I'm going to put a spell on whatever I'm going to give you."

"And this spell is meant to keep me safe, right?" Chihiro asked. For some reason, despite hearing all of what Haku had told her, she wasn't concerned about her safety here at all. "I can still help you then."

Haku's face looked crestfallen with a hint of gratitude, and Chihiro noticed immediately. "No, that's all you need to do."

"No," she said, eyebrows furrowed. "If you're going through this much trouble facing Nikushimi, and you even picked me to be your anchor so she can't attack Lin or anyone in the Spirit World, and you're even putting a safety spell on this object you're giving me, and you're _still_ telling me there's nothing I can do," Chihiro's mind raced as her run-on sentence continued. "It must mean if I try to help you, it makes it easier for them to find me. Or it means my health will decline. Or—Haku," she glared at him. "I can sense you're not telling me something. I can sense it the same way I knew none of those pigs were my parents in Yubaba's last test. If you won't tell me don't try and stop me from figuring this out."

"Chihiro, please," Haku pleaded in desperation. "I only need you to remember me and keep it safe. I don't want you to do anything else."

"You said 'want' that time," Chihiro said. She wasn't angry, but she was going to help Haku in his ordeal as much as she could. "You _are_ hiding something."

Haku just stood there, Chihiro thought he was taking all of it in, and she inwardly sighed.

The sun was setting, and it occurred to Chihiro that for Haku to ask her to be his anchor must've been something he'd had to think over a while. It was, for some reason, a hard decision, and Chihiro was honored that he chose to let her be his anchor—despite whatever he was edgy about. She wanted to honor his choice and not prolong the end of it any further.

"So, what's this item that reminds me of you?" she asked, feeling somewhat timid.

Haku's expression seemed to improve. "Anything that reminds you of me." He said. "Of course it's small and metal."

_Hm. _Chihiro thought. _I definitely can't lose it, so it should be something I can wear. I don't want it to be to flashy or cumbersome though. So probably not a bracelet._

Chihiro was about to give her answer when a question popped up she couldn't resist asking. "How do you make whatever you're going to give me?"

Untrue to her deduction, Haku didn't seem surprised. "I make it with a spell."

"What happened to E=mc^2?"

Haku paused, and Chihiro knew he had to remember what it was. She stifled a grin.

"Oh, Einstein's formula." He said after a bit of thinking. "I take it from something in the Spirit World. And formulate it into a small figure of sorts." He pulled out a handful metal nuggets from his pocket. "This is what I'm going to make it out of."

_How did he fit all those in the school uniform pocket? _Chihiro wondered, and quickly dismissed the thought to make room for the other one that quickly came in. "Haku, is that _silver_?" she looked up, somewhat demandingly at that, and at Haku.

He nodded slightly.

"Well," Chihiro said, remembering not to prolong the process any longer. "How about," Chihiro hesitated. _Why is it so hard to say this?_ "How about a necklace? Of your dragon form?"

Immediately Chihiro felt bad. _ARGH you STUPID __IDIOT! _She screamed to herself. _He's just lost the ability to change his form and now you're asking him to make a figure of it? How __**insensitive**__ can you get?_

She was about to withdraw her suggestion and hastily think of another, but Haku smiled.

"That's a good idea."

And then the silver pieces became distorted, twisting and being shaped until the four biggest began to form into a delicate chain as the other smaller chunks condensed and were molded into an exact replica.

Chihiro stood and gawked at it. "Haku, it's beautiful."

Haku just smiled. Chihiro reached for it to put it around her neck when Haku closed his fingers around it.

"Nope," he said. "I have to do it. It won't work if you put it around yourself."

"Oh, okay." Chihiro said, and she felt the temperature rising in the next few moments. She noticed nearly half of the sun had set.

Haku attempted to clasp the necklace, but failed on his first try. Chihiro couldn't help but grin.

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "It's the first time I've handled a necklace." He tried again, and failed once more. _I wonder if he made the clasp too small. _Chihiro grinned again at the thought. After one or two more tries, Haku finally managed to hook the two ends of the necklace together.

Chihiro let go of the silver charm dragon, and it fell a couple inches below her collarbone.

Chihiro smiled. "Thanks again. And—" she cut herself off. She was tempted to ask the burning question he'd denied a sufficient answer to. She took a breath. "Haku, there must be something else I can do for you."

Chihiro could tell Haku's expression was pained.

"Haku, tell me what it is." She repeated. "I'm not the same weak, useless, naive little girl I was five years ago."

Abruptly and much to Chihiro's shock, Haku's eyes became somewhat indignant. She backed away.

"What do you mean, weak, useless, and naive?" he asked, a warning tone clearly present.

"Five years ago when I entered the Spirit World; I couldn't do anything to help myself—I was so reliant on everyone—I mean, all I did was freak out and scream during the first hour my parents turned into pigs." Chihiro was had moved a good yard or so away, still alarmed over his sudden acrimony.

Haku's hostile demeanor remained. "You saved me from Yubaba, not to mention _gave me back my name_, saved the bathhouse from No Face, forever changed Yubaba for the better, befriended her baby, Boh in the process, _and_ restored relative peace between her and Zeniba. How is that possibly reflective of someone useless, weak, and naive_?_"

"Well, I meant when I entered the Spirit World. And even then, I caused a whole lot of trouble too. I'm the one let No Face loose on the bathhouse—he _swallowed_ three people!" Chihiro grew incensed.

"You had no idea he was a monster." Haku said. A pang of irritation hit Chihiro. No face wasn't that bad anymore; he was even helping Granny. And Chihiro was annoyed Haku still seemingly saw him as a pest. "You said so yourself. And that still doesn't answer to any of the adjectives you've labeled yourself with."

"I still don't understand why you're angry." Chihiro and Haku were both standing up in their argument. "Besides, you can't deny you thought I was a handful at first."

This seemed to make Haku falter. His head angled downward; and once again, his gaze was unmeetable. Chihiro felt a small knot form in her chest. Her breathing grew sharp.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I had no place to argue."

Chihiro's knot dissolved, and panic filled her. His voice was so distant, and she could sense his thoughts wandering. An awful feeling that Haku was going to leave her fixed itself in her. Chihiro saw Haku's shoulders abruptly tense, and possibly through his bangs, saw his eyes widen, but she thought nothing of it. Her mind was clouded and sluggish with fear gripping it so tightly.

Her eyes widened, her heartbeat quickened, and she threw out her hand to grasp his in a jerky, terrified motion.

Haku looked up in surprise, enmity and ambiguity gone. Chihiro let go as quickly as she'd latched on and she bit down hard on her quivering lip. She sat down by the water with her legs crossed and cap on her head, covering her face as she stared sadly into the water as she grit her teeth.

Haku slowly sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry." She said as steadily as she could. The initial fear was gone, but the physical effects still resonated in her.

_Just don't leave. I don't want to be alone again._

Chihiro's eyebrows sharply angled downward as she mentally slapped herself.

_What are you thinking you idiot? _She grit her teeth. _What on earth__has gotten into you!? Does the friends-using-you incident hurt that much still? _She mentally struck herself again. _You should be over this by now! And it's not like it was someone that close that abandoned you—not like Lin—you only knew them for a few weeks anyway; get over it._

_You knew Lin for even less time. _Her little voice was back.

_Yeah,_ Chihiro retorted. _But she stuck with me through thick and thin. Besides, we had more hours together in a day._

The little voice didn't answer back, so Chihiro thought she won that round.

"Are you alright?" Haku asked concerned, bringing Chihiro back to her surroundings.

"Yeah," Chihiro said after a while, still slightly trembling. "I'm alright." Chihiro and brought her knees to her face and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Minutes passed by, and Chihiro noticed their shadows became longer.

"Remember when I came," Chihiro faltered as she spoke again. "Remember when I came so sad one day?"

Haku gently nodded.

"That day, I discovered my friends were just using me." Chihirp felt childish confiding in him, but she was growing restless keeping it bottled up and to herself. "And, I guess it's left a wound that never healed." Her eyes slanted downward, expressing the painful feelings that resurfaced as she remembered the fake smiles that seemed so real, and the superficial hugs that were supposed to be displays of care.

"But I wonder why." She grit her teeth again, and her voice came out as a hoarse whisper with little sound as the frustration of her over-sensitivity increased. "Why hasn't the aching gone away? Why does it still hurt? It was so long ago, so why do I still tremble when I anger someone? And when I get the feeling they're going to leave," she inhaled sharply, tears nearly coming _again_. She hugged herself tighter. "Why do I get so scared?"

She looked over at Haku, and shame buried itself in her again. She quickly turned her face away. "I'm sorry. You're listening to me yammer about something you didn't need to hear." She sighed. She released her legs from their confinement, and her arms lay limply at her sides as her head hung dejectedly. Her cap fell off, and landed on the grass next to her. She didn't move; her trembling faded, but still very much there.

After a few moments however, to Chihiro's immense astonishment, she felt Haku's warm embrace. Chihiro sat still as he hugged her; his compassion and caring feelings seemed to flow into her.

"Haku?" she asked, almost breaking away. Seconds hardly passed but it'd seemed like minutes. He hugged her tighter.

"Don't worry that I'd ever leave you like that."

And she almost started crying again. _I gave someone a pointless reason to worry about me again. You were just pitying yourself and Haku now has the idea you think he's just using you or something stupid like that. When in fact you're worrying he'll leave because..._

She hugged him back, and it took all her willpower to keep the liquid pooling at her eyes from falling. However, she couldn't keep herself from burying her eyes in his shoulder and hugging him tighter.

And for minutes that seemed like hours, Haku comforted Chihiro.

"Thank you Haku. You're a good friend."

Arms still around her, she felt Haku's chin lift, and slowly return to her shoulder as she fought the tendency of panic.

He sat back down at her side, and she saw a wet spot on his shoulder.

"Sorry I got your shirt wet." She said, embarrassed. "I really should've learned to stop crying by now." She sighed. "A rule I learned to keep you happy was to expect less—but I don't understand why it doesn't work for me." She said. "It's kept me from disappointment, but whenever someone is seemingly unfriendly towards me, I can't help but wonder if it was something I did; or didn't prove myself worthy of, and I was a disappointment." She sighed again.

She smiled weakly as she fingered the silver dragon around her neck. Next to her Haku's silent breathing became audible as he looked towards the sky with his eyes closed.

Chihiro's hand dropped, and Haku's expression returned to its previous peaceful look. He looked around, as if he were taking in the scenery. Even though his face portrayed otherwise, Chihiro couldn't help sensing he was anxious.

Chihiro and Haku lay down in the grass, and fell asleep.

* * *

**Please leave a review, and thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5: Haku's Return

**Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away, but for this fanfic I've rewatched some scenes.**

**I am very sorry for the late update—ran into some writer's block. I tried to make it a fair size to make up for lost time. Thank you for reading!**

* * *

Haku had woken up first, and after Chihiro two had woken up, it was dark.

After managing to calm down a befuddled (and rather panicked) Chihiro, he insisted on walking her home despite her protests.

When she gingerly knocked on her door, her mother answered with a surprised expression she didn't bother stifling. She called over Mr. Ogino, and Chihiro's cringing became even more evident.

However much to Chihiro's immense surprise and gratitude, Haku was able to answer her father's questions fully without giving the implication of any contact outside of school.

He'd gone back to the apartment he was renting later that night, and thought long and hard about the events of the day.

It was the next day, and Haku and Chihiro exchanged a smile. He happened to pass by her, Hana, and Airi chatting while heading to their next class.

It was a few weeks after the first day of school, and many things had happened.

Chihiro and Airi had now "joined" the school newspaper, he'd stopped walking her to class due to her insistence, and Chihiro had begun opening up to her peers in the newspaper club and art class. He noticed she spoke more with the people who sat around her. And she was smiling more; and he knew it was the work of Hana and Airi.

Haku strode down the hallway and across the building to his next class.

It was nearly the end of the day, and the day of the summer solstice was approaching in a few days.

_I just found her after all this time—and now I have to say goodbye again. _His eyes stared sadly at nothing in particular, and he sighed. _Not to mention she's become a reclusive introvert that doesn't trust anyone, and if and when she begins to trust someone, she still becomes scared they'll leave her. _He looked at their shrinking figures that turned the corner, and a small smile formed on his face.

_But, at least she's trying._

Haku's smile quickly faded as his mind focused on more important, dire things.

_When Chihiro and I were at the river, we fought for a bit, and it was completely my fault. My thinking became utterly irrational as unreasonable thoughts and emotions implanted and took over. _ Haku's mind had been racing as he searched for an answer the previous night. _They came out of nowhere and used my circumstances and other feelings to justify the fueling of my sudden anger._

And after much thinking that night, Haku had realized it was the work of Netsujo. Nikushimi's lieutenant named Passion.

Not the optimistic enthusiasm, hobby-enjoyed Passion spirit, Jonetsu; but her brother, Netsujo, zeal, fervor, vehemence Passion. Passion with a broader definition allowing the link to less positive emotions.

Haku's mouth twisted into a livid expression.

Words and intentions are everything in the Spirit World. In spells, especially complex higher level spells with greater stakes require pure intentions and a broad vocabulary. You needed to perfectly express what it is you want it for while maintaining intentions without manipulation.

Nikushimi and her underlings were strong because their intentions were solely their names. They found such joy in bringing others to misery; and the fact that they could do it so painlessly reflected what was in their hearts.

He opened the door to his class and took a seat as a grim thought entered his mind.

_How am I supposed to fight someone of pure hate?_

…

Chihiro was smiling as she walked with Hana and Airi after returning Haku's smile.

Her thoughts no longer drifted to Haku as much, subsequently due to him reappearing.

But Chihiro wanted to make something clear to herself.

She did not love him.

She once did, but no more. Those feelings had gone. He was just a friend to her now. She couldn't handle any feelings of the sort at the moment.

In fact, just that break Hana had began pestering her with absurd questions.

"So, Chihiro-san," she said cryptically. "I notice you're less blatantly cold to Yamazaki-kun."

"Yes," Chihiro said without a second thought. "He's a good friend."

"So you're friends." Hana had said.

"Yes," Chihiro said warily, not in the will-me-answering-give-you-ammo-to-backstab-me wariness, but the what-are-you-up-to-because-I-have-a-bad-feeling-about-this wariness.

"Oh that's so wonderful, Chihiro-san!" Airi had giggled.

Now, suspicious of their eagerness, Chihiro stopped, one eyebrow raised. "What are you getting at Hana?"

"I'm saying," Hana whispered. "Do you like each other?"

Chihiro stopped dead in her tracks.

"You mean friends, right?" Chihiro forced herself to speak with a casual, carefree tone and suppress her rising indignation. She opened her iced tea and began to drink.

"Hey, Airi-san." Another one of their classmates joined up next to Airi. Okamoto Keita, Chihiro believed. "Hi Hana-san, Ogino-san."

Chihiro took note that she was the only one that he didn't call by first name, concluding it was because Hana never had anyone call her by her last name. But Airi was probably an old friend.

"No silly," Hana laughed, continuing, and Chihiro was once again aware of her present situation. Neither of the two seemed to sense Chihiro's discomfort. "You know what I'm talking about. But it's okay to like someone—besides you look good together."

Hana was so caught up in her laughter, and Airi and Keita were too engrossed in conversation to notice Chihiro spewing some of her tea out.

"Hana," Chihiro said with irritation at Hana's audacity to ask such a question.

"Hmm?" Hana was still recovering from her laugher.

"Go mind your own business."

Chihro sighed as she came back to reality, and she opened the door to her class.

Chihiro knew the world; the divorcing parents, the sob story breakups at the school, the brokenhearted girls, the betrayed people left behind.

Chihiro hadn't ever considered love after she'd come back from the Spirit World. The thought just seemed impudent. Even if she managed to scale her colossal wall of recluse any time soon, how was she supposed to find the ability to _love_ anyone after she knew what the world could do to her?

_But,_ the little voice said. _What about later?_

Chihiro had no answer. She sat down at her window seat in front of the boy who'd dropped his pencil on the first day of school. She stared at the clouds again.

_Little voice, _she said. An image of Haku appeared in the sky again, and Chihiro sighed. _I don't know._

…

The rest of the days leading up to the solstice passed quickly. Chihiro and Haku kept their usual friendly attitudes; making Hana and Airi increasingly suspicious.

"Soo," Hana dragged out the vowel again, and Chihiro's suspicion level rose as it always did when Hana lingered on any word.

"What is it Hana?" Chihiro asked, taking a bite into her sandwich after they sat down by their less visited tree. There were no club meetings during the week of the summer solstice; students spent most of their time preparing for the large celebration that would take place on the night of the solstice. "I'm in no mood to try and guess what you're trying to say—so you could not beat around the bush today? I have to meet Haku later."

Airi broke into giggles, and Chihiro noticed with each passing day, she was increasingly reminding her of a child.

"What's happening soon?" Hana asked, taking a bite out of her lunch. "You've been hanging out with Kohaku-kun a lot lately—and you've even started calling him by a nickname. Are Airi and I missing something?"

"No." Chihiro shook her head, clearly missing the point the two of them were driving at. "I mean, we just found each other again after five years. I've wanted to know how he's been doing."

_And to make sure he's not getting any sicker while he's stuck here. _She added in her mind. _I just know he's going to get himself in trouble at some point with all this school stuff. I wonder how he managed to even enroll; to the government he technically doesn't even exist._

As Chihiro was furrowing her eyebrows, her mind having conjured up yet another question, Hana rounded on Airi.

"Soo, Airi."

Airi's cheeks reddened, and Chihiro subtly looked up from her lunch.

"What…are you trying to say? …Hana…san?" Airi stammered, trying to mimic Chihiro's indifference and horribly failing. She delicately placed her onigiri back in her bento box.

_Poor Airi. _Chihiro thought as she took a giant mouthful of sandwich. _I hope she holds out. _Chihiro had no intention stepping into the conversation and giving Hana the opportunity to interrogate her again. And since it was Hana, Chihiro knew Airi's secrets were safe.

"Did you know Okamoto-kun before you came to the school?" Hana asked coolly, surprising Chihiro with her unexpected tone.

"Yeah," Airi said, losing her stammering composure and began to look more comfortable. Chihiro sighed as the look on Hana's face showed the fact she was getting information out of Airi. "He used to be my neighbor."

As Hana asked Airi another question, Chihiro noticed someone was standing behind her.

"Hello, Hana-san, Airi-san, Chihiro." Haku approached them.

"Oh, sorry Haku." Chihiro quickly stuffed her sandwich in her mouth, and began to pack up her things. She stood up with all her belongings in one hand, and held her sandwich with the other. "You didn't have to come get me; I'd have met you in the art room in ten minutes like we'd planned."

"Go child!" Hana said dramatically, and Chihiro's bag slipped from her fingers in surprise. Hana popped up from her sitting position, and helped Airi up. She packed up her things and Airi began to do the same.

"Airi and I have to meet up with Okamoto, Otori, and Himeka-san anyway." Hana said. As Haku bent down to pick up Chihiro's bag, the two of them winked in Chihiro's direction and scurried off.

Chihiro rolled her eyes.

"Why'd you roll your eyes, Chihiro?" Haku asked.

"No reason." She said, rolling them again. "Thanks for my bag." She reached for it, but Haku still held onto it.

"It's fine; I've left my things in Suzuki-sensei's room already. I'll carry it for you."

Hating to rely on people, Chihiro argued with Haku the entire way, trying to get her bag back.

…

After the incident at that lunch, Hana and Airi knew something was up, and left Chihiro and Haku alone. They both knew Chihiro wasn't doing it on purpose.

"She either likes him," Hana said.

"She doesn't necessarily like him." Airi interjected.

"Or they're in some awkward or bonded position that's making them act this way." She continued. Airi's interjection seeming to have gone unnoticed.

"Either way," Hana said on a less aggressive tone. "Chihiro and Haku are connected in some way I can't fathom—but I know it's special, and who am I to break it?" she grinned. "Besides, Chihiro hasn't shown one inclination of fading away from us at all."

Airi nodded. "If anything, she's initiating time with us even more. We're no longer fetching her from her sky-gazing after class."

Hana smiled again. "Exactly."

They both came to a silent mutual understanding that it was because of Kohaku.

…

The dawn of the solstice approached much too early.

Chihiro's alarm rang at four in the morning, and she groggily shook herself awake. She was going to meet Haku at the gate at five. That gave them roughly an hour and a half to say goodbye.

Chihiro's heart hurt.

Her eye's morphed into a melancholy expression, and she fingered the dragon on her necklace.

She snapped out of her train of thought, and got ready for the day. She'd already informed her parents she needed to leave the house early the next morning when she had gone to bed at eight-thirty sharp. She had looked to an undisturbed night's sleep, but she had lain awake for hours contemplating Haku's endeavor that lay before him.

In her lack of sleep, she got up, and decided to write Haku a letter. She folded the paper neatly, and eased it into the envelope. She grabbed a sturdy cloth bag (it once had potatoes in it) and on impulse, grabbed a canteen from the counter and shoved it into the bag.

She quietly slipped out of the house, and briskly started running towards the bus.

It was growing lighter, and Chihiro forgot to add in time in case she had to wait another ten minutes for a bus.

Thoughts of being late consequently caused Chihiro to begin sprinting, and then leaping onto the bus before the doors closed. This time, there weren't many eyes judging her blatant act of disregard for the station's rules.

She breathed unevenly as she checked her watch.

_5:10._

She was fairly impatient on that ten minute bus ride, and grew progressively more restless as the fact Haku would be facing a being of pure hate in a matter of months sunk in.

And all Chihiro could do for her friend was remember him and not lose a necklace.

She felt pitiful.

…

Haku had gotten broken hours of sleep that night.

So at around three in the morning, Haku was so desperate for rest he tried forcing himself into sleep by devoting his thoughts to his venture before him (and how he wouldn't succeed if he didn't fall asleep that minute). However, his thoughts remained stubborn in returning to Chihiro holding the secondary part of his anchor.

_Nikushimi's henchmen should all have returned to the Spirit World by now, and my planted leads should have Nikushimi searching for what she thinks is my secondary anchor in the Spirit World. _Haku inhaled. There was one thing he didn't tell Chihiro.

The primary anchor was kept him from instantly succumbing and was comforting in times of need, and the secondary anchor was like that extra sweetness in life that made it that much better. But in order to break someone's primary anchor (doing so typically rendered them unconscious), the secondary anchor needed to be broken.

That's why he absolutely forbid Chihiro to do anything more than remember him and not lose the necklace. If she even _attempted_ to come into the gates or try to talk to him would send up a flare to any spirits in the area.

Fortunately, Chihiro was in school and stuck in this world; and Nikushimi was on a false lead in the Spirit World. If all went well, Chihiro wouldn't try anything and Nikushimi would be held off on the lead until he could confront and reach her at the winter solstice.

The method of forced sleep only brought more insomnia.

So staring at the brightening sky, he waited Chihiro, and hoped for the best.

…

Chihiro leapt off the bus in the same manner she got on, and began sprinting up the hill. She checked her watch.

_5:15._

She grit her teeth and groaned as she continued sprinting with all her might to the gate's entrance.

Sure enough, she saw the stout stone statue blocking the entrance. She continued running through the dark tunnel, harboring none of her previous anxiety the first time she passed through.

As she steadily ran up the hill, she could make out Haku's figure turned to the brighter horizon, and it gave her energy to run faster.

"Haku!" she cried out, and his head turned. "I'm sorry I'm so late, I was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago." She was so exhausted her hands fell to her knees and her bag had been tossed to the side.

"Don't worry." He said, smiling. "I'm just glad you could come."

Haku was wearing shorts, a t-shirt,nand a jacket. She handed him the cloth bag.

Still panting, Chihiro said somewhat tersely, "Gather food when you get there—and ration it. There's a canteen in there too."

In his voice and on his face Chihiro could trace no signs of annoyance, disappointment, or sadness.

_Good._ She thought to herself. _Let's keep it that way, Chihiro. Don't screw up again like that other time you were at his river._

In a matter of moments, a direct beam of sunlight hit her face.

"Already?" Chihiro cried dejectedly, and checked her watch. The sunrise came five minutes earlier than expected. "I'm sorry I didn't get here earlier."

Chihiro noticed instead of the bathhouse entrance, there was a grove of trees with a bridge leading into it instead.

"It's alright." He said. "I'm just glad you could get here at all. I can spare a few moments. I just have to make it across the bridge by time the sun is up. Then once you leave the gate, it'll disappear the moment you take your eyes off it." Chihiro's smile faded a bit as he delivered the news. "Anyhow, that's when you especially start not forgetting me."

"I promise you I won't." she said.

Haku just smiled, and Chihiro hugged him tightly.

"You'd better come back as soon as you can." She said, hugging him tighter.

"I will." He said.

"Here," a slightly bleary-eyed Chihiro broke away and handed Haku an envelope. He began to slide his finger through the seal. "Don't open it now," she said. "It's for when you get back into the Spirit World." She grinned one of her childhood grins again. She steered Haku around, and nudged him towards the dry river.

"You'd better get going." She said. "The sun's halfway up, and you need extra time in case something goes wrong in your trek halfway across the bridge." She began to push him.

"Alright, alright." He grinned. Chihiro was glad he got the idea, and let go—only to realize he was using more precious time to hug her.

She briefly hugged him back.

"I'll get going now."

"Be safe."

Haku waved goodbye as he crossed the dry river, and trekked up the hill and onto the bridge. Chihiro kept a close eye on him and the sun with each passing minute. She watched him walk into the forest of trees without looking back, and she saw him become enveloped by the shadows.

After the sun was fully up, and more minutes had passed, Chihiro began walking back to the bus.

She was going to arrive at school an hour early, and draw absolutely everything that was swimming in her mind.

…

Once Haku made it to the end of the bridge, he made it a priority to get some healthy food into his stomach, and luckily he stumbled upon cranberry bushes. He ate much of the fruit, some sweet, but most of the berries were sour. He plucked the rest of the ripe berries from the bushes and filled Chihiro's bag halfway.

Next, he searched for a source of water.

This was harder, considering most of swamp bottom was, well, swamp.

However, about halfway through the day, Haku was able to come across some more spirits, Tsuri and Joki—who happily helped him find a clean source of water. He filled the canteen, and began walking west and towards Granny's house.

Exhausted due to his unfit amount of sleep from the previous night, he climbed a sunny tree, and rested there. He secured the berries and water, and opened Chihiro's letter.

_Haku,_

_It's been so long since I last saw you, and now we have to part ways again. Though this time, I know for sure you're coming back, and I won't forget anything at all._

_I'm not sure when you're going to open this, but now that you have, do me a favor and put the letter away if you haven't found a source of water, food, and shelter in that swamp yet. You need to survive in order to come back._

_Do it __now__, Haku._

Haku smiled, and kept reading.

_Now I'm assuming it's later, and you've found a reliable, clean, source of water, shelter, and now have healthy food in your stomach, so you can handle the rest of my letter now. I have five things I need to tell you._

_Firstly, I never properly thanked you for everything you did for me the first time I entered the Spirit World._

_I'm not very good at expressing myself, but I hope you know I'm extremely grateful, and now I'm glad I can help you out. You still haven't fully convinced me there's nothing else I can do to help you though. It doesn't sit well with me that all I can do is keep your necklace with me and remember you. I'm going to try different things—and starting this afternoon I'm going to visit your river every chance I get (not that I haven't before)._

_Secondly, make sure you have backup when you go face Nikushimi._

_You probably already have been planning on it, but I'm [hopefully] just reiterating your intentions. From what you've told me, your primary anchor and I aren't going to be enough—no offense. You need other people you care about in your life close to you in those times of bitter despair in order to not collapse. I speak from experience, and though my case was much more minor and with much lesser consequences, I don't want you taking any chances. Maybe even that spirit you met named Faith will go with you. Her name sounds like she'll be a great ally._

_And thirdly, be safe._

_You had better come back—even if it's to say goodbye for good, you had better come back and say it in person. But I know the thought of staying there after now for good has never crossed your mind. I know that for sure, and it's comforting._

_But even if you don't manage to come back, stay alive. You had better not die trying this—ever since I came back and started thinking about it, especially in these past few weeks, I've noticed you've developed a hero complex. Pride is deadly Haku. Just remember that._

_Fourthly, I'll tell you when you come back._

_And lastly, thanks for the first adventure, now go have your own!_

_-Chihiro_

_P.S. Just in case, your name is Kohaku._

His first reaction to the letter was slight irritation. Chihiro sounded just like a mother. But that thought quickly faded, and he smiled at the note. She'd become so cautious, yet still just as thoughtful as she was before.

As Haku folded the letter, to slip it back into the envelope, he noticed a piece of cardstock in the envelope. He pulled it out.

It was a drawing.

It was a drawing of Chihiro, Hana, Airi, the rest of the newspaper club, and him eating lunch on the roof.

It was a _good_ drawing.

At the bottom right corner, Chihiro had scribbled a note.

_Don't lose heart, you have us in your corner._

Haku smiled, and slipped the drawing into the envelope, and lay down to take a short nap.

* * *

**Thank you very much for waiting for this update even though it was more of a transition period for the both of them and me as well. School has started again, but I'll try my best to update faster and keep the quality.**

**Reviews are always helpful!**


	6. CH 6: Problems, Recruits, and Chihiro

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Spirited Away. The copy is still sitting on my shelf.**

**Thanks for sticking with this story and the pieces of scenes from the previous. The adventure starts finally.**

**And last but not least, I apologize for the incredibly late update—over a month I have kept you waiting. Working out the kinks in the plot to come is my reason.**** I've made this chapter longer than my others to make up for my month plus' absence.**

**Once you reach the end, please leave a review!**

* * *

Haku ran through the quickly darkening swamp and towards the setting sun. His "short nap" ended up taking six hours—nearly his entire afternoon.

Haku wouldn't have even woken up if it weren't for his growling stomach.

He ran through the flooded swamp bed, thinking it was much more flooded than he remembered.

But taking into consideration that it was the summer solstice, he had roughly three hours left to get to Granny's house. He'd hoped to make it at least halfway to the bathhouse that day. He wanted to check on everyone there as soon as possible, then recover as quickly as possible, and then start taking out as many of her henchmen as possible.

And Chihiro was right; he couldn't do it by himself, so he decided he was going to employ three of these people: Feya, Bartholomew, Erin, Kira, Seiji, Kaito, and possibly Aiko. They were the new "recruits" at the bathhouse; all possessing superior capabilities.

Yubaba was a spell weaver, so Haku being her apprentice, was one as well. Feya was a molder, and her practical abilities would be helpful. She could distort the shape of most substances to server her purposes—be it picking locks to melding 8-foot lances to throw at any possible enemies.

Bartholomew, they called him Thor (Kira began calling him that, and the name stuck once Kaito began using the name) could morph into certain creatures of the Sprit World. Especially since Haku could no longer fly, they would need someone with abilities to scout, conspicuously at that that.

Erin was the weapons master. She actually couldn't do magic, but she could make a weapon out of nearly anything; equipping and store them in the most convenient ways possible. She had quick reflexes and perfect aim—not to mention her finer senses and caution. The first time Haku tried to talk to her, she'd nearly sliced his arm off with her dagger.

Kira specialized in mind combat. Her physical skills were all right, but defending your mind with her attacking you as well wasn't so easy. She had a psionic shield with a fair range, which made all of their present enemy's combat worthless. Only problem was her defense—attacking she could do well enough, but Haku soon realized after meeting, that if Kira was cornered, she was helpless.

Seiji was an inventor. He could create the oddest contraptions out of rudimentary materials to serve mundane purposes. Fires, shelter, a boat. Once, when he and Haku were stranded in the tropical forest, he fashioned a makeshift hanglider they rode as Haku used a spell to create winds to carry them across the sky and back to the bathhouse.

Kaito was older than Haku, and could generate something out of wisps stored in an alternate space. Haku still couldn't wrap his mind around the logistics of his magic, but the idea was Kaito possessed the ability to create these wisps with the properties to turn into anything he wanted so long as they held enough energy. The wisps however, didn't regenerate—once they took damage he had to manually repair them, somehow. Unlike Feya's ability, Kaito's creations were fueled by his own strength, which made him the member with the most endurance.

Aiko was the last possibility. She could hold her own fairly well, wasn't high maintenance, and Haku mainly kept her a candidate because of her good sense of intuition. However she lacked a special skill or magic practice.

But seven was a large group to travel in. they didn't have nearly enough resources to feed that many on the run. And on another note, Haku still had to ask them.

One didn't just "go attack Nikushimi". She had spies all over; which made the "go attack Nikushimi" idea inestimably hard. Once she found out she was after you, she'd try to wipe you out before you could get to her. Even if you did manage to evade all her underlings, you'd have to keep her from fleeing your grasp.

As Haku put this in perspective, he grew progressively uneasy.

As the sun dipped lower, he spotted a clearing and a thatched roof; in other words, Granny's house.

It was a good thing too; he was starving.

He knocked on her door, and her warm face greeted him.

"Haku!" she smiled, and hugged him hard, like any other grandma would, and led him inside. "Come, come, I've got stew brewing on the stove—No Face is so good at cooking, come in, come, come."

As Haku and No-Face sat down, Granny served bowls of stew for the three of them, and poured herself a cup of tea.

After Haku took a bite, Granny asked him, "I would love to hear of your tale as to how you discovered the ability to enter at the cross quarters, but I understand you have more pressing matters to tell me. But I would like to ask, have you found my granddaughter?"

Haku put his spoon down, and nodded. "I have. As for entering at the cross quarters—"

"That can wait." Granny put her spoon down as well. No Face, at the sight of the other two, also put his spoon down, and listened to Zeniba. "Since you came back, I would like to assume she remembers you?"

Haku nodded.

The old sorceress seemed to relax at that, and nodded. "Good. How long were you there before you entered again?"

"A few weeks." Haku said, taking another bite of his stew. He was _hungry_.

Granny nodded. "Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Aware of what he needed to tell her, and aware of the consequences of doing so, Haku put his spoon down despite his grumbling stomach, and spoke quickly, and clearly.

"I gave Chihiro my secondary anchor."

Zeniba's eyes widened, and as expected, she grew indignant.

"Haku!" she sprang up, taken aback. Haku leapt from the table as she stood up and slammed her hands on the table with a considerable amount of force. No Face sat still, still intently listening. Her tone was not as angry as it was shocked, and she continued to admonish the teenage (looking) river spirit. "Did you even _consider_ what Yubaba and I have been telling you for the past three years? For once, we actually agreed on something, and if that wasn't enough, you know the dangers of being an anchor! Haku," the old lady's eyes were wide. "What were you _thinking_?"

"Granny, it's fine." He said. "Nikushimi has withdrawn all her henchmen from the human world, and all I told Chihiro was she had to remember me, and not lose the anchor—she was smart, she asked for a necklace."

Granny sat down a sigh, and Haku took his seat again after. "Haku," she said, voice weary. "I hope you know what you're doing. I've been keeping an eye on her ever since she left the first time, so I can see she's grown into a smart girl; but I can't bear to think what might happen if Nikushimi got to her." She looked at the river spirit she saw as her grandson. "What if she unknowingly does the rest of an anchor's duties? Then what will you do, child?"

Haku suppressed himself from biting his lip. "It won't happen."

Zeniba looked fairly surprised. "And what makes you say that?"

"I left her grounded and integrated in her school, in a club and a favorite of the art teacher. Besides, she has good friendships with her two friends, and parents. She won't fulfill the rest of it." He spoke with a certainty that left the old woman mostly trusting him.

"Alright, Haku." The old woman sighed. "But in case she does, she knows who's on her side, and who isn't, correct?"

"Correct." He affirmed. "So don't worry."

"I'm not worrying, child," Granny chuckled, the faintest smile on her face. "You've grown Haku."

This seemed to take him by surprise. "Really? How so?"

"You've learned to solve your problems without putting yourself at great risk, you've begun to regard other people, you've made, _acquaintances_," Granny knew the only people that associated much with Haku were Lin, herself, Yubaba, a few others at the bathhouse, and of course, Chihiro. "And you've grown so much. You're nearly my height now. Only a few more inches to go."

"Granny, I _am_ your height now." Haku smiled a bit. "I've aged to the equivalent of a fifteen or sixteen year old human."

"Yet you're nearly twice as old, and still act like you actually _are_ fifteen or sixteen." Zeniba sighed. "A wiser fifteen or sixteen year old human, though." Her eyes twinkled. "Even so, I know you've thought about what it'll be like when Chihiro's mind progresses faster than yours. We spirits age at the same pace, but once we hit the coming-of-age, we slow down twice as much." She thought twice about the introduction of the delicate subject, and dropped it. "But you're special, Haku. You've got a good head on her shoulders. What an old granny I am." She smiled. "I still want you to tell my twin sister as soon as you can. You'll reach her by dawn, yes?"

Haku's silence was not comforting to the old lady.

"I said," Granny prompted. "You'll reach her by dawn, _yes_?"

Haku took a deep breath. "No. I can't shift to my alternate form anymore. I'll reach her in a week at most."

"No!" Granny's face grew restless again, and Haku's dread was palpable. "Didn't you see as you came in? In the small amount of time you left at the equinox, rain has been pouring relentlessly. The train tracks are flooded again; I received word from my sister the water level rose to only a meter under the bridge!" Granny's eyes widened a bit more. "I can't believe this slipped my mind! I specifically reminded myself that this was the first thing to speak to you of. Nikushimi has gained control over Northern Wasteland, Western Forest, and has weakly begun to take Swamp Bottom."

Any optimistic feelings Haku had left drained.

He'd have to walk the entire way back to the bathhouse, through the forests, deserts, valleys, over mountains. It was nearly hopeless. He'd never reach the bathhouse in time.

"And you must reach Nikushimi before the fall equinox." She added, just as tense as he was.

"Why?" he asked, eyes the only thing showing his already restless expression.

Zeniba said nothing, and Haku slowly understood. He nodded grimly, and sighed. She responded the same in turn to confirm his suspicions.

"Can you still do magic?" Granny asked.

Haku nodded. "A little."

"Good, I have a boat you can use. You just need to paddle and create currents in the water to help you get there." She walked over to a closet by the open kitchen.

"You have a boat?" Haku asked, astonished.

Zeniba nodded as she pulled the kayak-like boat and paddle from the shed. "My sister sent it to me." She carried the boat and paddle with her to the kitchen counter, where she held out a sack. "Food and water. You still need to ration it, but I think you'll find a substantial amount inside.

_She and her sister seem to be on quite good terms._ Haku thought to himself as he scarfed down the rest of his stew. He brought his dishes to the sink, and began gathering his things.

"You're leaving already?" she asked. No Face, despite his lack of expression in anything, too, seemed to emit confusion.

Haku nodded, quickly packing up his things. "Your news is making me anxious to check on everyone. If I travel all night, I should be able to reach the halfway point by morning." He paused in front of the dinner table, and stuck a slice of baguette like bread in his mouth. Hands free, he stuck Zeniba's travel bag into the one from Chihiro, and shifted the paddles the arm carrying the kayak as he opened the door with one hand.

"Thanks for everything Granny, but I need to get going now." He said.

About to close the door, Granny said, "Not so fast young man."

Haku slowly opened the door again, wondering what in the world could be so important.

A piece of paper flew at him from Granny's open palm, and landed on his shoulder.

A paper person with no legs.

Haku looked up at a smiling Zeniba. "You didn't really think I'd let you go off unattended?" she shook her finger. "I'm not as bad as my sister. The human world is one thing—no spells work there. But whenever you're in this realm," she began putting her own dirty dishes in the sink. "Expect me to have an eye on you. You're still just a child—teenager, human terms—you're not an adult yet."

Haku was still outside, face and neck poking into the house, waiting for Zeniba to finish. The Kayak was growing somewhat heavy in his arm.

"Come in child!" Zeniba snapped a little. "Give this granny a goodbye hug."

Haku couldn't help but smile a bit, and walked back in the house. He leaned the boat and paddle along the wall, and walked over to give Zeniba her hug. "Now," she said. "You're my grandson and granddaughter's best friend, and I will hold you accountable for anything that happens to her due to your anchorage. Take responsibility, but you do need to ask for help sometimes." She hugged him. "_Remember_," she said softly during their hug. "_You're still just a child_."

And with that, she and No Face bid Haku goodbye, and he pushed the kayak into the river.

…

Haku paddled all night, and it was _hard_.

But not too hard. He was a river spirit, and had some control over water. But once the sun began to rise, he began nodding off.

"Sleep, Haku." The paper person said, and Haku jerked awake. He'd completely forgotten about Zeniba's watchful eye, with it being such a quiet protector. But he realized Zeniba had been up all night with him, watching him work his way across the flooded train tracks. "I'll keep watch."

Bleary eyed, he nodded. He cast a quick spell, moving the currents forward, and he began to lie down. The kayak wasn't quite a kayak; it was in the shape of a kayak, open like a canoe, and lacked benches. He shoved his sack to the front, and lay down. Before his eyes shut, he saw through his peripheral vision the paper person hop to the front, and stand still, upright.

His last thought before he drifted off into sleep was, _I seem to be sleeping a lot…_

…

Thoughts slowly filtered into Haku's mind.

_Where am I?_

…_On a boat…_

_What time is it?_

His nerves prickled as the sun shone on his skin. _It's the afternoon…_ his mind slowly replied.

_What day is it?_

…_It's the day after the solstice._ His mind was still only half-functioning.

Only until a few seconds later did those concepts sink in.

Haku's eyes snapped open, and he rocketed upward, nearly overturning the boat. He sent the paper person fluttering up.

"Calm down, Haku." Granny said kindly. "It's the afternoon, nothing has happened, and your spell seems to be working fine. We just went past the toxic forest."

A sudden buzz ran through the air as a black, translucent mass of dust flew by the kayak-boat, and disappeared.

Haku, mind already focused on so many things, didn't notice.

Zeniba, not wanting to disturb the probably anxious thoughts within the young spirit, kept the translucent mass of black dust to herself; kept at the back of her mind for future reference.

…

Zeniba chuckled to herself; she didn't think her guess would be proven right so quickly.

Spying through her glass ball and through the eyes of the enchanted paper, she saw Haku slumbering soundly in the boat once again.

_That child._ She thought to herself. _Did he really think he could hide the fact he was exhausted in my house? Really, his self-control has improved—I don't know what kept him from finishing of the stew like a famished monkey. _He was deprived of Spirit food for what, three months? When he'd entered at the spring equinox he'd quickly eaten his first bowl of stew in seconds, eating more after.

The old sorceress couldn't help but admire the young spirit though. Despite knowing the girl's mind would surpass his own, he still kept close relations with her anyway. That's partially why spirits didn't like humans—they envied them for that asset. Most spirits, including herself at one point, didn't care for the race, and above all else, the thought of love between the two was unthinkable.

But already he was breaking tradition, and fighting for someone he cared for in the way she had, many years ago.

_Perhaps_, _perhaps_, Zeniba stressed in her mind, _maybe, just maybe he is suitable to watch over Chihiro when I'm gone_. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at Haku's sleeping figure. _Maybe, just maybe, he's ready._

…

Haku had woken up soon after Zeniba had found him asleep again, and his thoughts went to Chihiro, and landed on that statement Granny had said.

_I know you've thought about what it'll be like when Chihiro's mind progresses faster than yours._

Sure, he had a good head on his shoulders for a spirit, learned quickly, and good with trial and error.

But still, the human mind was unnerving. How childish and it is when they're juvenile; moving half as slow. Once they hit their teens, they do stupid things, sure, but their minds begin to move quickly. Their brains began maturing faster and faster, as if they were trying to catch up, and in result surpassing the spirits at age vs. maturity.

And in the Spirit World, spirits were maturing and aging were half as quick as a human's. As the human died, the spirit would have gone through half his life, and spend his remaining time growing as wise as that human did, until they died much later.

Eventually, he'd seem like a mere child. Once the two of them reached the age of twenty-one, maybe for a couple years his mind could keep up with hers; but slowly, she'd grow sharper and sharper. When she was out in the work force he'd still be acting years younger than she was.

He set another spell off, and made the boat go faster.

It really humbled him.

…

Haku's next awakening wasn't so pleasant.

One of Nikushimi's lieutenants stumbled upon the small boat Zeniba was watching over, and Haku was resting in.

He awoke with a start, and a bright flash of light enveloped his vision, and a second passed before he registered it was a cannon.

Haku dove into the water, only thinking about how to get out of the area. He directed his currents to help push him southwest of the incinerated boat.

Underwater, he could feel the vibrations and the sound of the explosion upon the small wooden kayak.

Haku burst through the surface for air.

Nikushimi probably knew he was after her; considering he nearly died from a cannon. Fireworks rose and blasted through the air, and he slowly made out a figure, riding on a device similar to a human hanglider.

"_Lin?_" Haku was speechless. She looked the same since he last saw her. In that pink bathhouse uniform.

"Hey lover boy!"

_Lover boy?_ Haku wrinkled his nose. _Where did that come from?_

Lin clearly saw his uncomfort, and let loose a chuckle.

"Haku?" The paper person Zeniba saw through flew to Haku's shoulder. "I'm glad Lin got here in time considering how groggy you were the last time you woke. I thought I'd better send the SOS to the bathhouse rather than try and make you come to your senses. Even with my spell, I barley spied it with five minutes' warning."

"How did you get here so quickly?" Haku asked.

"Because you're close to the bathhouse, dummy." Lin laughed again. Haku had forgotten just how joyful and happy Lin's laugh sounded. She let loose a smile on the border of a smirk. "That and Yubaba sent me."

"Yubaba sent _you_?" He smirked as he tread water. It was his turn to poke fun at Lin. "You must've really shown your worry then."

Lin snorted. "Yeah right. Out of the frogs and other spirits in the vicinity, on impulse she deemed Erin and I competent enough." She rode the wind, spiraling, and forming large loops in the night sky.

As if on cue, a hanglider blocked out the moon; and as Haku looked up, he could see Erin's flying figure against the opaque wings of the contraption. Immediately, he noticed the spine on Lin's was significantly thicker than Erin's.

She spiraled downward, and with a powerful thrust, she remained level with Lin, and ejected the water skis from the spine of the hanglider.

Erin was just smaller than average height, stoic, didn't say much, and was relatively indifferent to her surroundings. And as Haku realized, due to her reserved nature, he knew next to nothing about her.

Her had dirty-blond hair that had a bit of a green tint to it, making it an unpleasant color to most. It reminded Haku of the human race's American split-pea soup. Her short layered hair easily flowed with any slight movement of hers or disruptance in her surroundings. Other than her relatively short hair, two long strands lay behind her bangs and in front of her ears. However, since she was nearly never still, no one had ever seen Erin's hair at rest; so Haku gauged the length to be a few inches longer than her collarbone. In her right hand she held a kunai, and strapped to her waist lay a katana in its sheath.

"Hey." She said, voice somewhat cold, due to it seldom heard and used. "Yubaba wants to see you."

_Six words._ Haku thought to himself.

Like Haku, her discreet expressions were only shown in her eyes; and in the moment, she looked a bit irritated. Probably having guessed Haku's thoughts.

_Yes, six._ Her eyes said.

Meanwhile, Lin was looking back and forth between their silent exchanges, beginning to wonder how they could communicate that way.

"Let's go." Erin kicked off the skis, snapping them back into place, and rode the oncoming gust of wind back up into the clouds.

"That girl has got some good instinct." Lin commented as both looked up to where she disappeared. "I still wonder how you got to recruit her, Haku. How old is she? Your age, right?"

"Something like that." he said.

"Anyhow, I figured you wouldn't want to share," Lin slapped the contraption, and a slab of wood on the spine fell like a door hinge, and she pulled out another hanglider.

Thin, flimsy looking, and small, but nonetheless, a hanglider.

She closed the hidden compartment, and continued her statement. "So I brought you one."

She slapped the small, frail hanglider, and Haku almost winced at the thought she broke it. The water skis ejected, and she said, "Come on lover boy; Yubaba wants to see you _pronto_."

"Leave the boat."

Haku had forgotten Zeniba's paper person keeping an eye on him; and he jerked from the sound emitted from it.

"Leave the boat," she repeated. "It's more important you get to the bathhouse."

Haku nodded, but swam back over to gather his food and water; mainly because of the bag and canteen Chihiro gave him as a farewell present.

The emphasis Lin placed on the word was somewhat unsettling. Haku brushed the thought away as he disbanded his spells directing the currents, and used it to move the wind in their favor.

Haku would reach the bathhouse by dawn. He smiled at the prospect. Lin seemed to notice, but gave no indication she knew.

Haku would secure Nikushimi by the autumn equinox, and he _would_ defeat her by the winter solstice—lest Chihiro do something reckless.

And Haku noticed, even in the few weeks he'd reconciled with her, was not a good thing.

…

At school, Chihiro was hopeful, melancholy, yet happy at the same time.

It's a very confusing feeling, and it leaves a small crinkle in one's eyes, a soft, small smile, but sad, faraway looking eyes.

So no wonder Hana and Airi though a, Chihiro had just read a very sad book, b, she was daydreaming again, or c, it had something to do with Yamazaki-kun not being there.

Of course you know which one they though best suited her expression.

"I'm sure he's fine." Hana grinned as she tousled her friend's hair. Chihiro snapped out of her thoughts, and began shielding herself from any more mussing. "It's not like you're never going to see him again, y'know?"

"Hana, I'm fine." Chihiro smiled genuinely. "Good morning, Airi."

"Good morning Chihiro-chan." she smiled. The three of them set their things down on the floor as Chihiro leaned against the hall window and looked outside again.

Despite her diverse, mixed sentiment, she smiled.

_That's right. _She thought to herself, as she rubbed the silver dragon between her right thumb and forefinger. She grinned as she looked into the sky, seeing Haku's dragon face smiling down at her. _I'll see him again soon. I will._

* * *

**Thanks so much for keeping with story! Any and all reviews are appreciated, and taken into account. :) I will try to update again soon, I have a better idea of the characters and what I intend for them to do.**

**Work hard, everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7: Another Human

**Hello again! Thanks for reading the latest installment of my story. :) I tried to make the update quicker than last time.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away.**

* * *

Once Haku reported to Yubaba's office at ten, she said she was glad to see him, and immediately sent him to go wash up. She didn't spare any analogies and adjectives when describing his, smelliness. After washing up, she said he was due at the main hall for dinner and the new recruits.

Haku had asked why dinner was so late, in the middle of bathhouse rush hour at that, but Yubaba simply shook her head and pushed him out of the room. She said after her finest apprentice was gone after months; she wanted to hear what he had to say.

_That's right. _A pang went through Haku. He'd completely forgotten Yubaba's last words before he set out. He supposed he forgot in the apprehension at the prospect of finding Chihiro again. _She released me to go start my search for Chihiro, but_…

"_Haku!" the old sorceress had said, and the much younger river spirit stiffened. "I will temporarily release you from apprenticeship, on the condition you find her before she begins high school. Or you're my apprentice again."_

"_If not," she continued, "you're staying in the Spirit World until I teach you everything I know. Zeniba is keeping an eye on her, and if anything extreme happens, we'll amend this informal deal. However," she eyed him. "Be prepared, in case she doesn't remember you. It may be a long time before you find her."_

At eleven sharp, Haku and Lin met up in the hallway, and sat down at the long table.

Haku and the "new" recruits, recruits for at least two years, sat with him and Lin at the table with Yubaba.

The table seated twelve, so all but one chair was meant to be empty. Busy eating, the ten of them sat across from each other as Yubaba sat at the head. Haku was on the second closest to the back door on the right side of the table. To his right, Lin sat next to Bartholomew, who was across from Kaito. On his left Erin sat, shoveling rice into her mouth, looking much tinier next to Kaito and Seiji, who sat across from Haku. On Haku's left sat Feya, and Kira sat across from her.

They were all wearing somewhat formal wear, except Erin, who was in her usual blue green hakama. Feya was wearing a hitatare, and of similar colors. Kira had purple eyes and longer brown hair was tied back in some sort of braided pleat, wearing a simple purple dress, quite similar to human styles, Haku, thought. Lin was in her pink bathhouse uniform, noticeably having come from work. Seji's hair was just as Haku had last seen it—neat, tidy, and black. He wore a collared t-shirt, also resembling human clothing. Kaito's hair was also black as ever, and he wore his bathhouse uniform to dinner.

On occasions, before the gates were shut, Zeniba would visit, and sit at the other end of the table across from Yubaba. Zeniba would tell them how Chihiro was doing. It was a queer thing, that crystal ball. Writing would never be clear enough to decipher, but the faces and Chihiro's surroundings were clearly visible. Thus accounting for the fact Haku still had to travel all over Japan to find her.

"So," Lin said in-between mouthfuls. "Care to tell us about your travels? I figured the time wasn't quite right with your boat nearly blown up and you in the flood of water, lo—Haku."

Haku's eye twitched a bit at the fact Lin was about to call him 'lover boy'.

With this, Erin finished her rice, and raised one eyebrow skeptically at Lin, who winked, and she returned to her plate of food. No one seemed to notice, as meal time was the only time they got to eat—and all of them, especially the boys, consumed many, _many_ calories.

"Where's Aiko?" Haku asked, swallowing his mouthful of bulgogi beef and rice.

Yubaba looked up, and gestured her hand with a spoon to the door. A moment later, the small black haired girl opened the doors, wearing something that resembled a small girl's dress up costume.

Yubaba's and Lin's eyes widened in surprise, all of the boys and Kira burst out laughing, and Feya smiled. Haku nose wrinkled once again, and was the first one to attain his ability of speech.

"Aiko…what are you _wearing?_" Haku asked kindly, having some difficulty suppressing his own grimacing and astonishment.

"What, this?" she grinned widely, and twirled around. Her white gloves, _white gloves_, sparkled under the chandelier in the room as her shoes clicked against the white marble floor. The multilayered pink skirt shimmered under the light.

"What in the world has my sister sent you this time!?" Yubaba's eye twitched a bit as she stood up in surprise. The boys and Kira, just after composing themselves, began laughing in an even more uncontrollable manner.

"Granny's sent me such a beautiful gown this time!" Aiko laughed with delight. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun with a sparkling bejeweled clip holding it. "The green one was just beginning to get small."

"You look like a six year old." Lin muttered.

"Technically I _am_ turning fourteen to-morrow, so I kind of _am_ six." She grinned.

"This is why I just say 'give me weapons'." Erin muttered.

"That's right!" Feya smiled. "Your twenty-eighth birthday is just around the corner! A couple days after Aiko's."

Erin just grunted in affirmation as she continued scraping the food from her bowl. What was it? Her fourth bowl?

"You're going to a human fourteen year old?" Kaito looked up from his bowl in genuine surprise.

"Yeah, you didn't know that?" Erin asked, one eyebrow raised. "How old did you think I was?"

_My age. _Haku thought to himself as he ate his food. Erin's gaze whisked over to glance at Haku's face, and slowly returned to Kaito's.

"Twenty-four at most." Kaito said, returning to his food. Erin said nothing more, and went back to stuffing her face with more bulgogi and rice.

"Now, it's _your_ birthday tomorrow!" Kira grinned looking at Aiko, and patted her lap. Aiko's eyes lit up, and she ran the few steps to the table and planted herself on onee-chan Kira's lap. "Happy birthday sport!" she grinned again, and her long light brown hair was subjected to Aiko's nimble fingers that'd begun to braid.

"Come eat up, kiddo." Kaito said, dragging a small stool over next to him and Yubaba. She jumped off Kira's lap and climbed onto the stool. He pushed a bowl of rice and bulgogi to her, a pair of chopsticks harpooned into the meat; once settled comfortably on the wooden stool, she hungrily dug into her food."

"How _were_ your travels in the human world Haku?" Kira smiled. "We've all been restraining ourselves well enough—so don't torture us any longer."

"Speaking of the human world," Haku said, looking at his arms, "I must smell atrocious."

"Well you are emitting a rather putrid smell," Kaito laughed, "But we're more interested in what you have to say."

"No kidding," Erin commented after a bite of rice. "You smelled like a mixture of spoiled milk and rotten eggs."

"Thank you, for that image, Erin." Kira looked up to the ceiling in disgust. She looked pointedly at Haku, a gesture signifying she was growing impatient, and he'd better get on with his story.

"Well," he began. "As you all well know, I've been looking her for quite some time. Considering I've come back," he paused, "with a much less frustrated look, I found her. A month and a half ago to be specific." Much to their slight annoyance, he stopped to eat as they all had ceased eating, and begun listening intently.

"I found a number a Chihiros, and a few nearly even had me fooled it was really her. This one time, I believe it was a Chihiro Otori, and I were on this pier and—" he stopped abruptly, as all of their stares, especially Lin's, were beginning to creep him out. "Anyhow, Chihiro's hair looks like mine—so it did throw me off a good deal the first time I saw her. I almost mistook her for a boy. Her brown hair like mine, face hidden under a cap, simple jeans, and one of those sweatshirt—t-shirts, it'd almost be like me posing as a human."

"Haku," Feya said. "You _were_ posing as a human."

"Which is why it threw me off." He said. "It was like seeing a brown haired me. But once she answered her phone, her wrist and her voice gave her gender away."

"Her wrist?" Kaito asked, then looked at his own.

Seji nodded. "Girl's wrists tend to be slightly smaller and to some, fragile looking."

"Your wrist's pretty fragile looking, Haku." Erin said, looking over the table after glancing at her own.

"Anyways," Haku said, dropping the subject. "I tried Osaka first, at the small set of schools there, all the Chihiros didn't have the same demeanor, and none of them had any idea what I was talking about when I mentioned the bathhouse. Since it was only half a year, I figured they shouldn't have forgotten everything yet; so I made my way down fairly quickly by semester to the Kyushu area. Then Zeniba said she found another landmark, and it would be in the Hokkaido area, so I took a train up north—"

"How did you get the money?" Thor asked. Their heads snapped over to him, Haku had temporarily forgotten the small, quiet boy was there.

"I had been working a job." Haku said simply. "I took a train far enough, and made my way up eventually." Haku's expression was tainted with a pained expression. "That's when the gates locked and switched, and that's when I grew sicker. Anyhow," he began again quickly, as he noticed Aiko's paling face, "At my third school in Hokkaido, a boy there, I believe his name was Kishimoto Kyoya, seemed to catch on that I was attempting to befriend all the Chihiros in the area. I told him briefly about my search—"

"You told him about your search?" Kaito asked. No one seemed to notice his subtle change in voice, or his stiffening, widening eyes as Haku mentioned Kyoya's name. His voice echoed low and quiet.

"I'd really appreciate it if I could tell my five year story without interruptions." Haku said somewhat irritated, and unknown to him, they drew back a bit. Increasingly, with each visit to the human world, Haku acted more like them. When they'd known him before he left, he was always polite, never snapped, or shown any irritation to any of them.

To Haku, Kaito was a kind, friendly person, but he could really get on his nerves. In fact, since he'd reached Hokkaido, anyone other than maybe Aiko, who was incompetent at anything irritated him. Haku had begun to dismiss the thought though. As he began to think more about it, all of the people sitting at that table never really caused much trouble due to lack of capability or maturity.

"As I was saying," he continued. "I told him that I had a long lost childhood friend named Chihiro, and I was looking for her. I said I was bound to find her at some point, because my dad was in the military, and often transferred to different regions around Japan. He seemed surprised, but said he was in touch with an old childhood friend, also ironically, named Chihiro. After that he laughed and said maybe it was the same person, and that his dad was also in the military, also often switched around. I didn't see any more of Kyoya after that, but he did tell me he last saw her in elementary school, and that she'd moved to the outskirts of Tokyo."

Haku took a breath, "And sure enough, when I first moved, and took my first train to my river, I saw my brown haired spitting image from my childhood standing with a sketchbook. I saw her again at school, and then she remembered me, eventually." Haku exhaled in conclusion. He didn't feel like telling them her story, nor the internal conflict she endured against during those years.

After a bit of silence, a knock was heard from the door, and the voice behind it, Haku recognized, was one of her more frequent frog employee visitors.

"Excuse me, Yubaba, another spirit is in your office requesting a job. Secondly, there's a Radish Spirit asking to take a bath in our east wing, with the medium baths. Kamaji's having a bit of a back up, so he's requesting young Bartholomew's assistance." Yubaba threw open the front double doors, and the small frog leapt back in surprise.

"Sure, I'll go." Thor—Bartholomew, got up and left quickly.

"I need to go attend to some business now, but I'm very glad I got to hear your tale. Thor, come quickly now." Yubaba motioned eyed Haku once again. "Remember our deal. I expect to see you in my office at dawn."

_SLAM_.

After the echo of the doors slammed shut, the remaining kids sat back in their chairs.

"Deal?" Kira's eyebrow rose.

"Thor?" Seji muttered quietly.

"I'd love to hear the rest of this," Erin said, "But I have a previous engagement I need to attend to. Will you fill me in later? She looked pointedly at Kira, who dismissed her with a 'sure, sure, go do whatever.'

"Aiko-chan!" A female bathhouse employee walked in. "Bôh wants to talk with you."

"Oh! Bôh-kun!" Aiko happily sprung from her chair, and skipped towards the door. "I'm glad you found Chihiro-chan, Haku, but I'm going to go play with Bôh-kun now!" And she left humming a merry little tune.

"I'm going to get going too," Seiji got up. "I need to finish researching for my little invention. I have a feeling it'll come in handy soon."

"Go, go, off and be studious." Kira said dramatically, hand motions accentuating the sarcasm. As the echo of the shutting sets of double doors faded out, it sunk in that Kaito, Feya, Kira, and Lin were the only ones left.

"Didn't you say this special girl had longer, pretty brown hair?" Kaito asked. "Why's it all of a sudden mimicking yours?"

"Because she was beginning to forget what our voices sounded like, what we looked like, some of the more minor events during her visit." Haku said plainly.

"She forgot?" Lin asked, surprised, and slightly disappointed, but her expression softened. "That's right, it's a side effect." She sighed.

"I was surprised though," Haku said. "She managed to remember everything for nearly a year. Only until she came to my river one day did I overhear her say that she was beginning to forget things."

"Wait, wait, wait, _wait_," Lin held up her hand. "_She went to your river?_"

"Yeah." Haku said. "Didn't you know?"

"You mean you've been able to talk to her?" Kaito asked. "Aw, you're so selfish! Keeping her company to yourself, Haku." He grinned. "We've all been wondering about this girl special girl of yours."

"_Excuse me?_" Haku asked indignantly. "I have not been able to speak with her; I would've have been gone for more than a week if I could have." A glare nearly escaped from his eyes. "I'm aware it was probably just a joke from you, but that last part—would you mind repeating that again?" he finished. "I'm not sure what you mean by it."

"Don't even _try_ denying it, Haku." Kaito said, with a challenging tone, absent from his usual joking manner. "Now, you say this girl remembers you, and she broke the spell Yubaba and Zeniba both had you under; I know how Granny works Haku."

"Why do you call her granny also?" Haku asked. However, the silence thereafter was filled with thoughts.

Love. That's what broke Zeniba's spell; but Haku had never really thought of Chihiro as someone like that before. He thought of her more so as an imouto; so Zeniba's spell must be one sided or any kind of love was eligible. In Haku's case, familial. A funny feeling formed in him, as he realized Chihiro had once loved him. He shook his head. It was probably also familial.

Unbeknownst to him, Feya and Kaito had begun exchanging glances, Kaito finishing with a curt shake of the head. Once Haku realized this, Feya interrupted.

"That's something we've been waiting to tell you—for a while now. Er," Feya paused awkwardly, and it wasn't normal for her to be at a loss for words. "Well, since Kaito was the last one of us to come to the bathhouse, and since you haven't gotten to know him too well yet; I mean, since you've been so busy, he's never gotten the change to tell you that—"

"Zeniba is my grandmother." Kaito cut in shortly.

This was rather uncalled for in Haku's mind. Zeniba hadn't told him she had a grandson. Haku seemed to have a rather confused air or look about him that Kira was able to pick up.

"Well, grandson through marriage." She said. "His grandfather adopted his dad."

"How long have you know this?" he asked.

"About two years." Feya replied, not sounding too curt. Haku nodded; whenever he went back to the spirit world he didn't stick around long.

"Of course you know Haku, since spirits don't—how do you humans say it? Breed?" Lin asked.

"I'm not a human Lin." Haku said, turning and realizing what Kaito meant. "And yes, that makes sense. But then that means you're—"

"Yes." The black haired boy said. "I'm human."

"Human." Haku repeated. Out of all the unbelievable stories possible, it was the one Haku did not see coming.

"I have a brother, mother, and father in the human world."

"You have parents and a brother." Repeating whatever Kaito said seemed to keep Haku's jumbled thoughts of Chihiro, Nikushimi, and the learning of Kaito being human relatively organized.

"His name is Kishimoto Kyoya."

* * *

**This marks the end of the chapter. How do you like the new characters?**

**Please review! :)**


	8. Chapter 8: Kaito

**Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away.**

**Thank you very, very much for reading! :) Again I apologize for my later updates—writing takes up a lot of time. Enjoy!**

**Forewarning: Kaito's back story is fairly dark, and is a lot different from the previous chapters.**

* * *

All that emerged from Haku was a shaky, "I need to hear your story."

Kaito nodded. "I figured you'd say something along the lines of that." he exhaled, and brought a cup of tea to his lips.

He set it down, and spoke with such a normal voice, it was scary.

"One summer's day…"

…

"Aniki," a young happy light haired boy laughed and waved to his older brother as he ran up the grassy hill. He was anxious to show him the small object in his hand.

"Hey, Kyoya. Whatcha got there?" Kaito ruffled his brother's light hair as he sat down next to him, hands and knees dirty.

"I found a stone." the younger boy smiled. He was probably around twelve, and he held up a sea green rock. "Should I give it to her?"

The word stung a little, but Kaito smiled.

It was the first anniversary after his childhood friend went missing. She was a softhearted girl, didn't stand out much, average in her physical and mental capabilities, and kind. However, she had this empathy that surpassed all others, an understanding that went beyond what most eyes could see. That alone made her special, and that's what made them such good friends. Kaito was was misunderstood, and she was always stepped on by others. They'd become friends in outrageous circumstances, but in their problems, they had prevailed; much due to each other's company. But if that didn't make her special enough, all you needed to do was hear her sing.

_Oh the wind blows along,_

_It will carry my song,_

_What does it say, now?_

_I sing of the sweetness that life allows._

_Because far, far away now,_

_I know someone needs to be strong._

_Courage needed to overcome the test,_

_Follow what you think is best._

_What is your heart's desire today?_

_Don't think of the things that make it harder to stay._

_We must not give up when we see the road ahead,_

_But what makes it easier, is a friend._

"Well," his older brother smiled, crossing his legs, to face him. "Is this that girl you were telling me about?"

The boy nodded, the blue green crystal still in his hands. "She's pretty nice. She gave me a gift for my birthday."

"I'm sure she'll like it." Kaito smiled. "Where did you find such a big crystal anyway?"

"I found it in the dried up river." He got up and motioned for his brother to follow him. "Come on, it's this way."

Kaito found himself led through a train station with a fairly large, mossy statue posted in front. As his brother led him across more grassy hills on the other side, he spied dry bedrock with gray-black stones. At the end, there were marble stairs leading to another red building, like a gateway.

By now, the sun was close to setting, and Kyoya was looking at the ground on bent knees, presumably looking for any other crystals. Kaito sighed, and looked up towards the horizon when he heard a voice.

_Courage needed to overcome the test…follow what you think is best…_

Kaito's eyes widened at the sweet, familiar melody, and his head jerked up. His head turned frantically, searching for the direction of the voice.

…_We must not give up when we see the road ahead…_

And at the top of the white marble stairs, was a girl with a flowing summer dress and long brown hair, singing.

…_But what makes it easier is a friend._

Kaito stared. It was Megumi.

She smiled and waved. "Hello, Kaito. It's been so long." She began retreating into the red gateway.

"_Megumi!_" Kaito exclaimed in excitement, bounding up the stairs after her. "Where have you been?"

He reached the top of the stairs, but now she had her back to him, and was across the bridge. The sun was going down, and Kaito ran to catch up.

"Megumi, I'm so glad to see you," he ran after her on the bridge, a small part wondering why she led him there. "How have you—"

"You humans are so gullible."

Kaito's eyes widened and his arms dropped. In front of him was a gangly teenager. He had long, unkempt, forest green hair and sandals.

Kaito said the only thing he could think of, it sounded like it was from a movie. "Where's Megumi?"

The boy laughed hysterically. It was evil, malicious, and maniacally happy. He clutched his stomach as he doubled over; not noticing Kaito was approaching with devastating eyes.

He grabbed the boy by the neck of his blue shirt.

"_Where_ is she?" Kaito said darkly. He wasn't thinking straight; his eyes were short-tempered, furious, and if one looked closely enough, terrified.

The boy recovered from his laughter, shrugged his shoulders, and maintained his carefree I-couldn't-care-less attitude. "What makes you think I know?"

Kaito threw him to the ground, and in a minute, the boy was pinned against the wall of a building. "Who are you? How do you know what she looks like? What was the purpose of doing that?"

His eyebrows remained steeply arched, and grip unmerciful on the boy's neck. He frantically clawed at Kaito's hands. Only a small sector of the sun remained shining against the orange sky.

The boy smiled again. That evil smile that Kaito had come to despise. "Who, my name is Sōsa Sagi. Why I did this?" he repeated. "My assignment was to bring and trap you on this side of the universe."

"…What?" Kaito's facial muscles tensed, and his grip slackened. The green haired boy uttered a low chuckle; one Kaito only recognized through vibration, and he fell to the ground.

_Smack!_

The boy delivered a blow to Kaito's face, obviously having acted like he was in trouble, and allowing himself to be overpowered in the minutes before. Kaito hit the ground with a thud, and he saw the glinting eyes and smiling teeth in the shadows.

"In order to lure you here, I had to take the form of someone most precious; it was almost him." He sneered, and cocked his head in the direction of the bridge.

As Kaito turned his head he saw a smaller version of him. "Aniki?" Kyoya's confused and somewhat shaky voice entered Kaito's ears.

"Kyoya, run!_"_ Kaito let out the words in a blood-chilling cry, and the small boy's eyes also constricted as he saw the green haired teenager punch his brother in the stomach. Blood spurted from his mouth.

"Aniki!" he began shaking, and slowly began taking worried steps forward. Kaito's blurry eyes made out the retreating figure in the shadows, ready to advance on his next spied prey. Only a small sector of sun was left, and the sky had darkened. Lights began to switch on, and they saw black figures mulling about.

"_Kyoya, run!_"

…

"Come on, Kaito," a boy sneered. "It's not like she's going to kill her just yet. Nikushimi just wants you to fulfill her objectives. Besides, it's an honor that you're personally summoned to her in a diplomatic manner; only the colonels get to talk with her face to face, and your brain could be manipulated with enough spells and incantations."

"What do you want from me, Sagi?" Kaito growled. The bowl of rice in his hands remained untouched. His black coat rested on his shoulders on top of a black shirt, with black pants, and black shoes. His sword rested on his belt.

Two days ago, he'd been dragged to whatever hideout this was, and told their leader needed to speak with them. In the mountains and covered in snow, the hideout was often attacked by monsters of the realm. Kaito cared less about the fact he was defending the hideout; the so called monsters killed everything on sight.

"I told you, Nikushimi just wants you to get that anchor for her. Then you can go home with that girl. It's a happily ever after, what more could you ask for?" The boy said tiredly, but he had to smile evilly at that last part. He sat down on the crate next to Kaito.

"I still don't know why it has to be me." He replied curtly.

Sagi chuckled. "You're special, Kaito. You have a fire that's uncompromising. You'll do anything for those precious to you," Kaito felt the weight of his sneer next to him. "Aren't I right?"

Kaito raised his fist, and it moved at accelerating speed towards Sagi's face when the alarms roared to life. It bellowed through the den like a chainsaw, it was so much worse that the surprise fire drills he'd had at school. What had it come to that he compared two things like that together?

"Get going, _deceit,_" Kaito said tersely. "Nikushimi will want to see you fighting."

"Nikushimi wants me to be 'Sōsa', manipulative, today," He smiled, grunting while getting up. He dusted his hands off. "I'll see you on the front lines, Colonel."

…

Kaito emerged from the top of the snowy hill, face down and sword up. Exactly one year had passed since the gateways switched, and he was trapped there. His dark eyes glinted at whatever threatened his life charging before him. He didn't want to be here. He wanted nothing to do with Nikushimi, he wanted nothing to do with the Spirit World, and never wanted to see Sagi's grin enjoying his pain.

His sword ripped through the enormous bull like animal, and its essence dissolved quickly. The only thing keeping him there was Megumi.

He grit his teeth, and his vociferate was among the most distinct on the battlefield. It carried weight, sadness, contempt, disgust, and absolute rage.

One, two, three. Four, five, six…

One hundred and one, one hundred and two…

Five hundred.

He bore into the eyes of the furry, gorilla shaped beast in front of him. His arms held tufts of white fur, and the nails glinted, bearing their sharpness. Each resembled a metal hook, and four horns protruded from the animal's chest.

This was five hundred. This was the last of his quota for the day, and he'd be one step closer to Megumi.

Sayonara, beast.

…

"Colonel, well done." The being behind the black curtain spoke, her voice was laced with approval. "I see you've developed a new technique. What is it, A Blade's Mirage?"

"Call it what you will," Kaito said thickly. "What's my next assignment?"

"Excited now, aren't we?" He could almost feel the delight in her voice.

"You wish." He glowered, his tone clearly showing he would not put up with her sarcastic comments.

The humidity of the air dropped, and her happiness was no longer tangible. She snapped her fingers. "Your next assignment is to go to the southern border of this realm and wipe out the race of Alakines residing in the hills. The breed of horses are turning to the wrong side."

He curtly nodded, and walked out of the room.

Megumi.

_Wait for me; _he felt salty tears pool at the corners of his eyes. He grit his teeth, his knuckles were white, and his bangs shielded his face.

_Two more years and I'll be done._

* * *

"Hey, Kyoya." Chihiro grinned as she approached her newfound long-lost friend. It had been a rather large surprise, meeting him before school on her way to homeroom. It'd been ages since she'd last seen him, probably seven or eight years, and maybe nine months since his last letter. "I'd almost forgotten about you; you didn't write for so long."

"Yeah, sorry about that." He grinned, running his fingers through his jet black hair. His gray eyes were cheeky.

"You're so tall now." Chihiro said, looking up and down her friend, wondering when he'd grown. "If I remember correctly, last I saw you; you were shorter than I was. Now look at you. You're nine inches taller!"

"I know. And look at your hair. You cut it. Why?" he fingered the ends of a lock of hair.

Chihiro smoothed it back. "I thought it would be a nice change."

"Really? I liked it long. It's still pretty though." He showed no intention of touching her hair again. "Can I see your necklace?"

"What? Oh, sure." Chihiro began to take it off, but he just picked it up. Chihiro immediately felt uncomfortable, which was progressively causing her internal intuition warnings to go off. However, she let him look for a few moments before it became unbearable where she inhaled sharply, literally snatched it from his fingers, and collapsed against the wall breathing heavily.

"Chihiro," his eyes furrowed in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she grunted as she fixed her necklace. It had an immediate effect of relief, slow, slow relief, but relief nonetheless. "Don't worry." She inspected the precious charm. It looked a bit tarnished.

_I'm going to put some of mom's jewelry cleaner on this._ She muttered to herself. _When was the last time I did anything really feminine?_

Kyoya extended his hand. "Here."

"Thanks." Chihiro took it. They walked in silence when Chihiro thought it was alright to tread on a touchy subject.

"How, how's the search going?"

Kyoya stopped walking and seemed to stiffen, but he gave her a small warm smile at the turn of his head. "I've reached a dead end."

Chihiro felt horrible. It wasn't her fault or anything, but too many times had she seen her childhood friend in pain in his letters. He'd always be careful not to show her any weakness though; only that he was in pain. And she couldn't do anything about it.

"I'm sure you'll find him." Chihiro said. She knew she couldn't tack on the 'soon'. Chihiro knew if one added something that promised hope faster, the person could take it in such a way that she didn't care as much as they'd hoped. It was odd logic, and not easily explained, but Chihiro didn't want to promise false hope either. She knew that with Haku, if anyone knew her situation, she wanted no false hope. When it failed, it'd hurt a lot more since she was only deceiving herself. So much more.

"Me, too."

…

Chihiro hadn't seen Kyoya for the rest of the day, but did see him at the bus on the way home.

"Hey." She put her stuff down on the seat and stood next to him. The doors of the bus closed. The bus was virtually empty as it was around 2:30. They'd had an early day.

"Hey." He replied somewhat monotonously, staring out the window. They would pass Haku's river soon. She considered getting off at that stop, but Kyoya might wonder why. She wasn't quite ready for the possibility of him going there.

They passed the hills concealing the new largest section of Haku's river. It was surprising to Chihiro that it was so long.

Unintentionally, Chihiro let out a sigh. Kyoya raised his eyebrows, but Chihiro just gave a smile, saying it was nothing.

They would pass the bathhouse soon. Chihiro thought she knew the approximate location

It was funny, how the two landmarks linking her to the Spirit World were so close to each other.

The bus passed the area Chihiro thought the bathhouse gateway was. She closed her eyes. Next couple stops should be home. When she opened her eyes though, she saw the tip of a red gateway, shimmer briefly, and solidify. The bus zoomed past.

_It's not the autumn equinox. _Chihiro's eyes widened as the last of the red gateway left sight. The bus' closing doors jarred Chihiro out of her confusion.

_Wait!_ Chihiro's mind cried as she snatched the handle of her bookbag and slammed her hand in between the doors, shoving the closing doors open. She felt a hand slam against the doors with hers as well, helping pry them open. A hand against her back pushed her out onto the station platform. She stumbled out, heard another pair of footsteps, and the bus doors slammed shut and zoomed off.

"Chihiro, what were you thinking!?" Kyoya cried, panting. "What compelled you to get off at this stop so suddenly?"

"A feeling?" Chihiro offered, collapsing on the bus stop's bench.

After a few moments' rest, Kyoya said, "Well, I suppose it's not all bad that we got off here; do you remember the crystal I gave you as a kid?"

Chihiro nodded. "Yeah, it's polished now and everything. It's sitting on my desk."

He grinned. "Want me to show you where I found it?"

Chihiro nodded and got up. However, as they crossed the street, and went up the hill to the right, she realized they were going right for the bathhouse gateway. A knot settled in the pit of her stomach, and she swallowed.

The bathhouse gateway was about to come into full sight when it suddenly vanished, and the two heard muttering.

"_That Sylvia_; I asked for a location not warping to a _hint_! I even asked the last of the Alkalines for help—"

Chihiro and Kyoya fell on the other side of the hill, heartbeats rapid, and slowly peeked over. A girl with a blue green hakama, wooden sword, and green blond hair had her back to them. Her hands rested on her hips crossly, and two long locks of hair blew with the wind.

She turned, and the two caught a glimpse of her widening, sharp sea green eyes. The two immediately ducked, and started running. Why? Chihiro didn't know; she just knew the girl was angry, and did not mean for anyone to hear that. As they bounded down the hill, a shadow overcame them, and landed in front.

Hair whipping, eyes cold, and in a fighting stance, her katana was out and pointing at their necks. The pair's hands went up.

"Who are you?" the girl demanded with a grit of her teeth. "Why are you here?"

"No offense, but shouldn't we be asking you that?" Kyoya asked briefly.

Her eyes paid no attention on him, but were instead focusing on Chihiro. First her face, and then her neck. The girl's eyes widened, and she sheathed her sword.

"You, you're Chihiro, aren't you?"

"A Chihiro, yes," she said, slightly edging away. "May I ask how you found out?"

Erin left no hesitation or care that Kyoya was there and listening. "Your necklace looks just like Haku. When he came back he described your hair as well, though it has grown a couple inches since he last saw you."

Chihiro deduced this girl was one of Haku's allies, helping out in the fight against Nikushimi, and she trusted her immediately.

"For a formal introduction," the girl held out her hand. "My name is Erin, I'm a weapons specialist."

"My name's Ogino Chihiro—friend, friend of Haku's." Chihiro shook it awkwardly.

Erin turned to Kyoya, and he shook her hand. "Kishimoto Kyoya, friend of Chihiro's."

Erin's face paled, and her firm shake slackened. If there wasn't enough surprise evident on her face, a hot, muggy wave of air passed through, and it pierced their skin. Chihiro and Kyoya clearly saw Erin's pupils contract. "If you don't mind, I need to speak with both of you in private."

Chihiro nodded, understanding immediately. She gave Kyoya a look.

_It's alright, I trust her._

"We can go to my house." Chihiro said. "It's a few stops away from this bus stop." She eyed Erin's clothing. "But your attire is going to attract attention."

"It's fine. It's still around 2:30, no one will be on the bus." Kyoya said. "We should get going though."

"Alright, after you." Erin gestured, and Chihiro took large strides. Kyoya could clearly tell she was anxious to hear her news. But a more pressing question remained on his mind. Who was Haku?

…

The walk back to the bus and to Chihiro's house was all in silence. Brisk, anxious, tense, slightly discomfited silence. Until the key in the lock turned, the lights were flipped on, and the three stepped into the house did Erin collapse in a chair at the dining table.

"Now, an explanation for the two of you," Erin sat up, and Chihiro and Kyoya sat down across from her. "I will start at the beginning because I'm not sure how much Haku has told you. But first, Chihiro, I'm going over one specific anchor rule with you."

Chihiro nodded.

"Do not lose it."

This struck Chihiro by surprise. She thought she was going to learn more of an anchor's duties.

"This is critical." Erin's eyes flashed. "If you lose that anchor Haku's life goes into jeopardy; not that it already isn't; but you understand in his circumstances what it means if you lose it, right?"

Chihiro nodded again, and Erin was satisfied. "Continuing on, there's a preparation for war in the Spirit World. Races of spirits and spirit animals are taking sides, rivers, trees, and marshes are turning to evil before they're taken over by Nikushimi. Nikushimi is a spirit, an embodiment of pure hate, and her henchmen are all spirits of sin and evil things. Her main attack for some reason is on the bathhouse. She's recalled her underlings who've caused a lot of your climate change problems, and switched and shut the gateways.

"Now Yubaba is forming a border of defense; but in hopes to stop the invasion before Nikushimi unleashes it on the solstice, she's sending an attack party out. She's named Haku the leader, and he's chosen a select few to go with him. One being me. However," Erin's voice now spoke with a dark note. She turned to look specifically at Kaito. "He's chosen two girls named Kira and Feya, a boy named Seiji, and your brother, Kishimoto Kyoya."

There was absolute silence in the room.

"This is what I needed to tell you in utmost secrecy. You remember how your brother told you to run?" She looked pointedly, obviously expecting a straightforward, quick answer.

"Yes." Kyoya grit his teeth. "That was the biggest mistake of my life."

"And one of the most selfless choices your brother has made." Erin cut in. "You remember he had a childhood friend named Yuuki Megumi. While you were in the bedrock, your brother ran up the stairs, right?"

Kyoya gave a slight nod, expectant of her to quickly continue, and she did just that.

"A spirit named Sōsa Sagi posed as her, knowing fully your brother would come running. Your brother followed and was dragged off to a hideout in the blizzard stricken northern mountains of Lombard. Nikushimi required his help to launch the attack for some reason, and used Megumi as bait. These people are dangerous. They've carefully planned everything since she and your brother met when they were five. The reason she'd gone missing a year ago is because Sagi had abducted her after knowing that your brother and her relationship would surpass all odds. That's why your she and your brother were kidnapped and taken hostage by that organization—to establish an everlasting bond between the two.

"Nikushimi has been watching you, just as she watched your brother. She saw your brother's fiery spirit and strong willed loyalty, and she used it for her purposes. Once she lured him in, she shut the bathhouse gates so he couldn't get out. If you don't know already, only on the cross quarters can you exit and enter the Spirit World; but for obvious reasons Kaito was never allowed to know. Only until he joined us did he find out how deficient the half-truths he received from Nikushimi."

For once, Erin looked away, and the slight crinkle in her eyes portrayed sadness. "Even if he did, he wouldn't have left. It's why he hasn't come back yet."

Erin continued to say she was a part of the bathhouse battalion, lieutenant to a significant leader who controlled the second wave of attack or defense. Haku was at the rank of a Colonel but had no official title. Two girls named Kira and Feya were the bathhouse's task force, and a boy named Bartholomew was a part of the intelligence agency. A small girl named Aiko aided in the mental ward, Kira who helped cope with serious mental trauma, and Kaito was a combat leader who was always on the front lines.

"Anyhow," Erin continued, beginning to grow into her serious demeanor once again. "In a skirmish between incognito bathhouse forces and his battalion clashed at the southern hills. That was when I first met him," Her expression changed. "Kyoya, he was at his wits end. His fighting skills showed he'd had immense experience with a variety of enemies. His moves were virtually flawless, and he gave no openings. Kira is a mental combatant; she can pick up tiny details on someone's face, and see their mental state. But with her skills or not, you could see it in his eyes he was breaking."

Chihiro took Kyoya's wrist under the table and squeezed.

"At that point, both sides were completely exhausted but still alive and fighting. I entered a spar with your brother, and partway I said," Erin inhaled, and Chihiro noticed she was shaking. " 'You're in agony. I can see it in your eyes.'

"And then your brother stopped fighting. He didn't do anything, and it was as if we were in a listless sphere of quiet with the fight still raging around us. Then he stopped and surrendered. I don't know what he could've possibly gone through being that close to Nikushimi but," she looked up to meet Kyoya's gaze. "He surrendered. He hasn't told us the details yet, just Yubaba, and that's his prerogative, but I have a feeling that Kaito is leaving with the group because of Megumi.

"I talked with him regarding the issue, and he admitted that he's walking right into Nikushimi's hands again. But the fact that he readily admitted to me that Megumi was his absolute first priority has me worried." She sighed. "I'm sorry you have to find out this way; but I don't think you'd have ever found out otherwise."

"Is that why you came here?" Kyoya asked.

"Here?" Erin looked rather surprised. "No, but now I'm glad I did."

"Then why are you here, Erin? If you don't mind me asking." Chihiro said, getting up to get a glass of water.

"I'm looking for my anchor," She said. "I have a couple leads. I lost it the day the gateways switched and shut. It's partially the reason I joined the bathhouse actually; I could travel safer and more efficiently. Most recently, I was told by a spirit named Sylvia it's linked to you, Kaito, Megumi, and Kyoya. I asked for a location, but she ended up warping me to wherever a hint was. Do you have any ideas? It's a stone the color of my eyes."

* * *

**Thank you, thank you, thank you very much for reading! :D**

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	9. Chapter 9: The Truth About Anchors

**Disclaimer: I own nothing in Miyazaki's movie.**

**Also, even though this is very, very late, I want to thank all my reviewers for leaving a review for me! They have been very helpful, and the constructive criticism was greatly welcomed!**

**Here is the latest chapter; it was fairly dark in the last one, so I had to change the rating. More Chihiro in this one. :)**

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"A stone." Chihiro repeated. " 'Bout this wide," she held up her hands, "this tall, and this long?"

"Yeah, where have you seen it?" Erin got up so quickly and eagerly her chair was knocked over. She looked into Chihiro's eyes as if searching for clues.

"It's up in my room," Chihiro started for the stairs. "I'll go get—"

Apparently, and rightly so, Erin was in quite a hurry to reach her secondary anchor. She brushed past Chihiro.

"…Second door on the right." She said, smiling a bit. Erin had seemed like a stern, nononsense character that showed no other emotion. But Chihiro easily saw how losing an anchor would be a problem. The owner has lost their failsafe, and it was a violation of a belief in an unwritten, immutable trust. Chihiro couldn't help but wonder how the anchor was lost and who or what held it.

Chihiro's stomach dropped.

What if the person…died?

Would Chihiro die? No, she was in the human world, and Haku said all of Nikushimi's henchmen were withdrawn.

_That was why Haku chose me to be his anchor!_ Chihiro suddenly felt happy, feeling as if she'd figured out Haku's thinking. _How smart._ She grinned. _How smart of him._

She pushed the door open, and saw Erin with cupped hands, holding the crystal close to her heart. She sat on the edge of Chihiro's bed, head bent low. The open window let wind and light in, so Erin's shadowed head had clearly accentuated green-blond hair. It was silent in Chihiro's room, but she could clearly sense Erin's relief.

The anchor was a fail-safe for a spirit when in mind combat. The bathhouse had been at war with Nikushimi ever since the gates shut, and Erin had had to survive with her anchor lost and unsure of where it was—

"Hey, Erin?" Chihiro asked quietly, a pressing question had entered her mind. "What happens to anchors picked up by the wrong people?"

Erin looked up at Chihiro, and there was evidence her eyes had been watery with relief. She gripped her crystal. "If touched by someone with an attachment to the holder that directly opposes the anchor's owner, it becomes defiled, and needs to be cleaned. However, a permanent stain is left on it, serving as a marker and a reminder of what they'd done. Also, if the number of hands that touches an anchor grows is too large, it sullies it, and the anchor is rendered useless. Then the owner has to make a new one. Thar usually doesn't happen. if it's touched by that many people, is bound to come across a pair with evil intentions. Chihiro, why?" Erin's eyes narrowed in on the charm, and she stood up. "Did you do anything to the anchor?"

"No, I didn't." Chihiro shook her head. Her heart pounded. No wonder Erin was so thankful she found it. Chihiro no longer wondered at Erin's intense, straightforward, curt, and fixed expression. It explained her rational countenance, practical air, and no-nonsense attitude. She couldn't count on her anchor as a backup.

"Don't worry." She said in her usual terse manner in response to Chihiro's edging away. "I don't harbor any feelings that directly go against Haku's." She carefully took it from Chihiro, who held it out to her. Her scrutinizing eyes narrowed in, and her sharp, quiet tone of voice was unnerving.

"Chihiro. What's this stain here?" Erin held it up to the wall mirror, as microscopic as it was, it was as apparent to Chihiro as black against snow. A small rust colored spot lay clear as day on the dragon's mane.

"I—I didn't mean—"

"I know you didn't _mean_ it, Chihiro," Erin said, tone unmovable, and she dropped the necklace. She stared into Chihiro's eyes. "And you don't need to tell me who it is, but for Haku's sake, do not, I repeat, _do not _allow _anyone_ to touch this necklace. Understood?" Chihiro felt as if that Erin's piercing gaze was reading her like a book.

Chihiro couldn't do anything but nod in that moment, when she faced Erin's extreme, grim eyes.

Erin exhaled, and her eyes resumed their normal cold look. "How do you not know this already? Didn't Haku go over all the anchor rules with you?"

Chihiro shook her head. "All he told me was not to lose it, and not forget what happened at the bathhouse."

One again, Erin's eyebrows furrowed, her pupils contracted; and Chihiro stepped back as her furious shout made an even more intense appearance than before. "That's it!? _That's all that river spirit told you about anchors!?_"

"Yeah." Chihiro said. She was getting tired of not knowing everything, and Erin's constant surprise that she didn't. It wasn't her fault she knew nothing.

"You and I need to talk," she looked up at Chihiro. "Withoutthat boy around." She muttered. "I can't believe that idiot—the absolute naiveté—even in his present state, I expected more of him."

Chihiro somehow took her mind of the situation long enough to wonder, what was Haku to Erin?

Erin was cautious with people; she knew that ever since she and Kyoya stumbled upon her by the gateway. But what puzzled Chihiro, was why was she so protective of Haku's anchor? Obviously part of it was she'd lost her own, and knows how devastating it may be, but still…

...

Instead of having to kick him out like she thought she would, Chihiro saw Kyoya packing up when she and Erin marched downstairs.

"Sorry you didn't get to show me where you found Eri—where you found the crystal." Chihiro apologized, and walked over. She remembered what Erin said, and kept an arm's distance.

"It's fine, don't worry. I just realized I have soccer practice in a half-hour." Kyoya smiled. "Well, I'll get going then." He held out his arms to say goodbye.

Chihiro subtly glanced at Erin, who in turn nodded shortly. Chihiro tucked in the necklace, and gave Kyoya a hug that thankfully ended quickly.

As the door's closing echoed through the small kitchen, Erin once again sat down at the table, and gestured Chihiro do the same.

"In place of Haku, I will thoroughly explain the necessary rules and requirements of being an anchor; while trying to honor his intentions as to why he did not tell you everything." She folded her hands, and all was silent.

"You know the role of the secondary anchor; to hold the object safe, and to not forget the person. Those are the two critical things. If you lose the anchor and it falls into the wrong hands, it can be used against them. The energy, or specifically, denryoku, is unique to each individual, like your DNA. The denryoku used to create the anchor is forever recorded and mapped out in the anchor. If someone got a hold of an anchor, they could use it to harm and even manipulate the owner; though it would require a great deal of power.

"There are two ways an anchor's information becomes inaccessible. The first, the holder dies and the anchor remains locked, making it so no one can access the information and thus becoming useless to anyone. Or secondly, the holder turns on the anchor's owner by committing a blatant act against them. The anchor then blackens and shatters, crumbles, fades, it depends on the act if betrayal. It doesn't happen often. It leaves the holder with a brand, showing they committed a natural crime, and also because it's too easy to just internally harbor feelings and oppose the owners."

Chihiro was speechless. Haku didn't tell her any of this?

"And I've realized that that boy from the way you paled," Erin spoke darkly, and she looked pointedly at Chihiro. "Stained Haku's anchor, and he is my enemy; brother of Kaito or not."

Chihiro was silent.

This bordered on _insane_.

Protective of anchors? Fine. Protective of Haku? Fine. Deeming Kyoya the enemy because he stained the anchor? Really now? Chihiro understood the fact that it hurt Haku when something like that happened, but honestly, it was so small. And even if he did have conflicting feelings, he at the time wasn't the least aware of the spirit world. He'd shown no manifestation of any animosity towards a girl that seemed to appear out of nowhere who brought fantastical information. If anything he believed it! What conflicting feelings could there possibly be? Chihiro didn't understand why Erin had to go so far as to deem Kyoya the enemy. And besides, Erin even mentioned it herself that Kyoya was Kaito's brother!

As for the stain, it was so small…It shouldn't have been horrible, right?

"Think me insane," Erin's words were laced with fury, but not directed at Chihiro. "But don't _ever _let anyone touch that necklace again_._ Chihiro, I don't blame you for what happened, but I can only guess what Haku was thinking and feeling when he made the anchor. I pray he heeded my warning when making it, but if my guess is right," Erin's livid expression hardened as it bore through the door and onto Kyoya's back. "The consequences of that boy's actions are _not_ good."

* * *

"_Augh!_" Haku's pupils constricted, his grip went slack, and he collapsed onto his knees as he clawed at the area over his heart. At the anguished and muffled cry came from his collapsing figure, his friends rushed over. The katana he using clattered to the ground, and his sparring partner Kaito rushed over. The fist-sized muscle in Haku's chest felt as if it was on fire, and about to explode as the expanding feeling grew.

"Haku, what's wrong?" Kaito put a hand on his friend's back, and his eyes widened as Haku's increasingly unnaturally warm body grew warmer. Haku's head suddenly snapped up, and his face was as pale as the moonlight they were sparring in.

His teeth were clenched in pain, and his mouth formed a snarl. His eyes were wide in disbelief and his eyebrows were steeply angled. The creases were clearly seen on his pale forehead, and beads of sweat began to fall.

"G-Get me to Yubaba—" Haku's groan came through clenched teeth, and his face twisted into an even more agonized expression as he tried to stand up.

With a knowing nod, Kaito snapped his fingers. Immediately after the clear sound came to be, a large, blue, glowing wispy substance appeared. In unbelievably quick and fluid motions, Kaito sliced the air in front if him, and the glowing blue mass divided evenly. He lowered his hand, and the wispy masses mimicked the downward motion. With both hands, he slammed downward and spread out. His left hand's thumb and forefinger pinched together, causing one of the wispy blobs to form a long strap. He helped Haku onto one platform.

"Thor-"

"Already done." The small boy had transformed into a massive bird, and he slipped under the makeshift harness Kaito threw into the air. Haku sliced the air with his own hand. A large, uncontrolled gust of wind blew, rocking the platform shakily. Bartholomew's eagle-like wings caught the air, and the platform flew off into the night.

"Where's Erin when you need her?" Kira muttered nervously. "She's the most levelheaded and the knowledgable about these types of things. 'Course you are too, Seiji, I'm only-"

"I know why you mean," the boy held up his hand. "She's a _wind_ spirit," he eyed the rocky platform and felt the unsteady gust of wind. "With the an extensive knowledge of anchors." He began on a dark note. "Good thing Haku seemed to know what he was doing. I'll bet it had something to do with that very subject."

"I hope that girl's alright." Kira looked to the sky with a pained expression. In the time Haku had returned, they spent their days sparring, and Haku filled them in on the details. Erin continued anchor lessons and training, and they all worked on their own magic.

"I don't know what feelings Haku fed into the anchor; but I hope she's alright. It's so late at night." Kira said, looking up at the starless, black night sky. With the bathhouse so close by, all it's light drowned the stars out.

"You keep forgetting that the Spirit World's day and night turn 12 hours behind after the summer solstice, and back to normal at the winter solstice. The spirits take advantage of the twelve hours by staying up and celebrating. That's why Midsummer's is always so anticipated." Seiji reminded.

"So it's about ten in the morning over there then..." Kira mused, quickly returning to her analytical expression. Her eyes were focused, and her mind was racing. "It'd better not be something stupid on the girl's part that caused Haku to burn up so badly. He'd clawed at his chest, right where his heart was. That idiot river-" Kira being a mind and somewhat an empathetic magic user, could tell he had more affection than his familial ones for Chihiro, denied or not.

"Stop calling him an idiot." Feya rolled her eyes. "Go into his shoes."

"How can I?" Kira demanded. "How Feya? He denies my suspicions, but what he briefly does directly after proves it true; only it's so brief it could be coincidental. Then nothing happens after a while, and the cycle repeats itself."

Feya sighed. "You know what I believe."

"Yeah, there are no coincidences." Kira sighed. Thinking about Haku analytically and empathetically in one sitting even made her mind hurt. Feya always thought about things empathetically, even better than Kira herself, which was humbling; Kira was the mind competitor. Erin was always practical, and Kira tried to be both.

_What was he feeling when he cast the spell?_ Kira wondered. She'd seen Erin when her anchor was being handled. _She's either in deep danger if Haku was hurt that much..._

Kira clenched her fists, angry both at and for Haku.

_...or that idiot loves her that much._

Kira paused as another thought hit her brain.

The fact that he didn't even know his own feelings and still felt that way meant he was in teouble. Heck, even after _Erin's_ instruction every instruction session with each of his sparse visits; oh boy, Haku was in trouble. Despite all if Erin's warnings, "when you make the anchor, feel as little emotion as possible," "when you make your anchor don't think about anything else...", "when you make the anchor be solely objective..."

He had fallen deeper into that hole than any of them could imagine.

* * *

"I almost killed him!?" A piercing shriek escaped Chihiro as the anguish saturated the air. Her hands clapped over her mouth in shock.

"_Almost." _Erin said, glowering, but she was only annoyed. "But you didn't. Thank Kami I gave Haku instructions before my untimely warping should anything that bad happen," Erin closed her eyes. "Now stop panicking; _he's fine!"_

Obediently, Chihro's shaking and whimpering lessened.

"I'm just mad I'm not there." Erin said quietly, pacing around Chihiro's room. "I need to talk to Haku. Kira's probably calling him an idiot and wondering the same things I am right now..."

Chihiro was silent. Erin's goal for the time being was to look for her anchor; that's also why she initially joined the bathhouse. Did Erin have a bigger, larger ambition even over her anchor?

"Erin," Chihro said softly, and the wind spirit looked up. "Now that your search is over, are you going to fight in the bathhouse war?"

"Of course." Erin was slightly puzzled, but the look faded quickly as a look of knowing replaced it. "You're wondering if I'm going to stick around to help the bathhouse prepare for the war." She spoke bluntly yet gently, and didn't seem offended. "I guess I do seem to have that air about me." She slumped onto Chihiro's bed, and stared at the white ceiling, crystal trapped against the bed under her slender fingers.

"I never did think I would stick around those people," She admitted. "I'd've never thought that I'd ever really make friends or allies while my anchor was at stake," She exhaled. "But those people, as I found out, we're just like me." And Chihiro, for the first time, clearly saw her smile. "We were all looking for something," Erin looked at her again before returning her gaze to the white ceiling. "One searching for a sister, one searching for a friend, one searching for acceptance," Erin turned and smiled at Chihiro. "And one searching for you."

* * *

"Where in the world is Erin!?" Lin cried, throwing up her hands in the air. Seiji sat across from Feya and Kira in the dimly lit dining room, and Kira sat in a seat two down from where an exasperated Lin stood.

"Not in this one." Kaito said offhandedly.

"She's been gone since this afternoon." Seiji said, sitting across from Kira and Feya. "I'm pretty sure she was paying Sylvia a visit."

"The seer?" Lin groaned. Kira and Seiji inwardly did the same. Sylvia was a nice woman, probably around forty in the Spirit World, but she spoke in riddles and didn't quite answer anyone's questions exactly. Last Kira remembered, she was wearing a large purple hat with enormous multicolored feathers protruding from the side. Sylvia liked to wear vividly colored dresses, and always carried a candy tin with her. Not to mention, she lived in a cave with furniture and lamps.

"I don't understand why Erin is so obstinate in getting a straight answer out of that woman." Lin smacked her forehead. "Her answers are always to problems three steps ahead. And even then, they're in the form of quotes; some even from the human world!"

"They're in the form of lessons and advice," Kira reasoned, partly wondering why she was defending the flamboyant lady. "But she chooses the phrase that will beat help in whatever situation she sees."

"What makes you say that?" Kaito said somewhat tiredly.

"I specialize in mental combat. I _know _how to trace motives and facial expressions." Kira said, wishing they'd be a bit more intuitive. "She always has this special sparkle in her eye whenever she gives you advice." Now both Lin and Seiji were staring at her funny. The thirty year old spirit finished in a slight snap and turned to her older role model. "You see it when we visit, right Feya?"

Feya sat there with a somewhat sorry look on her face. "Er, Kira, I'm sure what Sylvia says makes sense to her, and what you say makes sense to you. But we don't study people and attempt to explore in the inner workings of their minds like you."

"I'm not a fan of psychology." Kaito said in simpler terms.

Kira only sighed and went back to her lotus tea.

Aiko burst through the back double doors, still in her pink dress and asked anxiously, "What happened to Haku?"

"Yubaba's tending to him." Seiji said.

"More like interrogating him." Lin muttered under her breath. "I wonder how he's holding up right about now."

...

Haku winced as the sound of another vase breaking. Yubaba's exclamations were becoming so violent, nearby tables tipped over and spilled the things resting them.

"You _what!?"_

The river spirit's expression was once more grimacing at his employer's voice, but he showed no intention of backing down from his position. He sat in a relatively calm manner, and at one point so was Yubaba. She was now both infuriated and indignant as the river spirit delivered his news.

"I distinctly remember both Zeniba and I agreed you were simply forbidden to have any intimate contact with Sen!" Yubaba exclaimed. "And I should remember," she muttered. "It was something we immediately agreed on."

_"_Yubaba, it's not _intimate." _Haku said in his own indignation with a tinge of red. "I just need to keep my promises."

"You only needed to see her again, and you had to come back and defend the bathhouse anyway. Me granting you permission did not include _setting your mental sanity in her hands!_" Yubaba shouted vehemently.

"Yubaba," Haku sighed. "I took the necessary precautions, and I know the full risk of giving Chihiro-"

"I'm aware of your precautions and her risk, Haku," Yubaba sighed, and sat down in her chair. "Who I'm worried about is _you."_

This took Haku off guard.

"Have you fully thought through what might happen if she comes here?" Yubaba asked. "You told her about the war, you told her about Nikushimi's henchmen and their way of fighting, you've told her only the safe things for her to do as an anchor," Yubaba looked into the river spirit. "But have you told her about _you_?"

Haku subconsciously drew back.

"Have you, Haku, the talented spellcaster, my first and only apprentice, thought about your own feelings?" Yubaba continued as Haku remained speechless. "You may have calculated every odd and every chance regarding Sen's safety; but in your kind heart you forget to protect yourself. You're the opposite of me Haku; when you care about something enough, your kindness takes over and you lose sight of the big picture."

As Haku sat a humbled student sitting across the room, and as Yubaba sat at her desk before Haku, they understood each other. She could speak one thing, and Haku could understand and decipher the motives and message to the very core. Because of this, he realized her next question was not concerning his judgement, but the spell he cast on the silver nuggets.

"...Haku, what were you thinking?"

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**Well...how'd you like it?**


	10. Chapter 10: I'm Going Back

**Disclaimer: I own nothing in Miyazaki's movie. Everything else is mine.**

**Chapter 10 is here, and I thank you for being considerate with my slow posting; I'm over a two months late (school is not kind)... But this chapter is nearly three times as long as the others, so I hope that helps compensate for my tardiness! (Even though I **_**still**_** didn't get to edit this as much as I'd like to have.)**

**Thank you for all the reviews I have received! They keep me assured that it's enjoyed. :)**

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE**_**: As you may or may not have predicted, my story is going a bit slower than I wanted it to, so I have a short(ish) summary at the beginning here to sum up all the more so minor technicalities and transition periods for all the characters as well as what has happened over the last few chapters. This prevents an entire chapter devoted to transition periods, as chapter six was.**

**Thank you for reading!**

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A total of two months and three weeks passed since Haku's return. Kaito's past, purpose, and identity have been revealed to Haku upon his arrival at the bathhouse. All the bathhouse recruits are began training, and honing their skills in preparation for the pursuit of Nikushimi. Haku is still unsure of his feelings for Chihiro, and what emotions were accidentally stored into the necklace.

Erin in search of her anchor, consulted Sylvia, the seer, and was warped to the human world. There she came across Chihiro and Kyoya, explaining the full duties and purpose of an anchor to Chihiro, and deeming Kyoya the enemy while she and Chihiro were alone. Unsure why, Chihiro still set up living arrangements with Erin, saying she was a foreign exchange student. In the meantime, Kyoya and Chihiro have remained being friends, and Erin said so long as he didn't touch the necklace, she had nothing against Chihiro contacting Kyoya.

Now, Erin was enrolled for the second trimester after the summer break, only a week and a half before the fall equinox. During the summer break Chihiro and Erin learned a lot about each other. Chihiro learned Erin was incompetent in the kitchen, but could clean fine (bathhouse duties; everyone had to clean rooms at one point or another). Erin learned Chihiro was great at home economics, but knew nothing about fighting and defending herself other than randomly kicking and punching. Chihiro and Erin then all summer tried to teach other their skills. Erin learned how to make a bento as well as some more complex things, like fried rice, fried fish, and stir fry (note that everything is fried). Being around Chihiro, and the days days they'd visit Hana and Airi's houses she'd even begun smiling more. Chihiro learned how to successfully throw kunai with decent accuracy, learned a fair amount of hand-to-hand combat, and learned how to use a katana. She was still a bit clumsy with it, but Erin seemed satisfied with her work.

Also during that summer, Chihiro became excited because at the beginning of the year, she had received a notice that she was eligible for a school trip. Only the third years and a handful of second years were able to go and visit the shrines up in the mountains. Chihiro had diligently put together an art portfolio that had impressed the principal enough that she allowed her to partake in the trip. It would take place the day of the equinox, lasting for three weeks. So aside from cooking, cleaning, and training, Chihiro also began gathering her things into a pile for the trip.

That summer had passed by quicker than any other for Chihiro, and when the time for school came around, she was quite satisfied.

And above all of it, she felt completely happy.

...

"Erin, school is going to start in ten minutes!" Chihiro called up the stairs anxiously. Mrs. Ogino looked over her shoulder at her somewhat pained daughter, smiling inside. Chihiro had made a friend, one she was willing to sacrifice a fair amount for. It was the first step she had seen in her daughter in an attempt to take down her wall of protection and wariness. She left the kitchen to take care of the finished laundry.

"I'm coming down," Erin shouted back. However, when Erin came down the stairs she didn't quite look like herself. Sure, it was a standard navy blue skirt and white polo for a uniform; but as Erin continued in her usual manner, it was obvious she wasn't used to anything but pants She stood with her legs apart, sat with her legs apart, and continued her brisk walking.

She looked fine, but Chihiro could only wonder how she was going to keep stares off of her. Most girls knew how to act when in a skirt, whether they wore them or not. The fact that the school even allowed her late enrollment (Erin was _very_ good at Japanese dancing) was surprising to real news she needed to break to her was that school didn't allow weapons; especially when they were displayed so conspicuously. Even with the weapons that were visible, Chihiro couldn't help but think that Erin had more hiding. She began wondering how she'd be able to do Phys. Ed. The wind spirit's arms and legs had kunai strapped with white bandages. Even though they were somewhat hidden, they were at "optimum grab angle", thus making the tips of the weapons showing. And despite all of that, Erin had walked down the stairs carrying her sword.

Chihiro wasn't not sure how to break the news to her friend. "Erin, since you're wearing a skirt, you have to keep your legs together, and also your wea-"

"Why?" Erin said, puzzled.

"Er, just trust me on this," Chihiro said, and smiled weakly. "It's etiquette."

"Oh, Don't worry," Erin said, thinking she understood Chihiro's main concern, and smiled. "I made sure to keep a pair of shorts on underneath." But seeing the look on Chihiro's face made her add, "Well, if you insist." She then slowly stood with her legs together. It made her feel vulnerable though. It wasn't a good position she could easily jump from at any precise angle in the desired amount of time.

"That's good," Chihiro said, relieved a bit. "But you can't have weapons strapped to your arms and legs like that," she stopped and remembered Erin's natural tendencies and caution. "At least not so conspicuously."

Erin looked over herself. "I suppose not," she sighed, and went back upstairs. She closed the door to Chihiro's room. She took out various pouches and undid bandages on her shoulders and arms that secured another kunai and set of senbon. Erin pulled up the kunai higher up her thigh, her other kunai up her sleeve, and slipped her last kunai inside her sock. She took off her other two kunai from her arm and other leg, and tucked a set of four shuriken and a took out the makibishi inside her leather pouch. She took off her shirt, slipped the strap of the leather pouch over her shoulder and under the elastic of her skirt. Putting her shirt back on, she slipped a set of sesix nbon in her socks, and counted her weapons.

"Kunai, shuriken, senbon," Erin sighed. She brought all the various kinds of weapons she thought she may need, but the overall quantity was about two-thirds of what she normally brought, minus the makibishi, and she had to leave her katana behind. She begrudgingly hopped back downstairs with a much lighter load than before.

"Alright, Chihiro, I've had to reduce my number of weapons, but can you tell any metal is hiding now?" Erin held her arms out.

Chihiro had to admit, Erin was good.

_Just so long they don't do a random check. _Chihiro thought rather anxiously to herself.

"You're good," Chihiro said, tossing Erin a rice ball, which she caught. "Now you're eating on the way; we're late."

...

When Chihiro and Erin walked in the gates, Erin seemed less nervous than Chihiro. She walked confidently, briskly, and kept her eyes forward. Chihiro walked quickly to keep up, and was constantly glancing around.

"Stop glancing around," Erin whispered. "You're drawing attention."

Erin held a less stern look compared to her previous natural look, and now her face was neutral looking, not looking cold anymore. Chihiro knew inside her bookbag was a small pouch held her anchor. Chihiro had asked why she didn't dissolve the anchor, and she simply said it was special to her.

Himeko, Otori, and another black haired, small boy Chihiro had never seen before stood behind the small group standing around Erin. As Erin began looking at the kids' faces, her gaze hesitated over that last boy's, but quickly returned the the rest of the group.

Was it Chihiro's imagination, or did Erin ever so slightly stiffen?

"You know," Hana said. The two looked over at the small crowd. "I thought she was pretty interesting when you brought her over to my house, but now that she's her it seems like she's from a whole other world."

_Oh the irony, Hana... _Chihiro thought to herself and smiled, going along with Hana's offhand comment. _You don't know the half of it._

"I think she's cool," Airi grinned. "She walks with confidence, is friendly but doesn't come across as naive, and the fact that the school accepted her in the second trimester must mean she's really artistic."

Chihiro smiled. Yes, Erin was very special.

When the bell rang, she took Erin to the office to get her schedule, and every step they took away felt like a pair of eyes were on them. This caused Chihiro to walk a little faster, and Erin took no time catching onto her wariness and walked faster herself.

When they got to the counseling office, Erin's schedule didn't match Chihiro's much. Physical Education, History, English, and Art were all swapped. Chihiro's sixth period PE and fifth period Art were swapped with Performing Arts in sixth period and Physical Education in fifth for Erin. History and English, second and fourth periods were switched as well.

And those two periods were the ones Chihiro was worried about the most. She didn't know how Erin would conceal her weapons in either period. As the day slowly progressed and lunchtime arrived, Erin and Chihiro's shared a cautious feeling towards a black haired boy immensely grew.

* * *

"Kira, give me my doll back!" Aiko whined.

A bronze sword lay on the ground by the bench. It was late in afternoon, about sunset at the open field where Haku had nearly collapsed weeks ago. That particular day was more preparation than grueling work, but they each had a set of things to do, and Aiko had pushed her training as far back as possible.

"Nope," the girl turned her nose away, and held the doll with one hand behind her back. "Yubaba said you needed to practice your fighting."

Of course the little girl wasn't going to fight in the war, but they needed to make sure she could defend her self in case no one could come to her immediate rescue.

"I'll practice later!" Aiko whined again, and began jumping around Kira, who easily sidestepped, avoiding the small flailing arms. Kira inwardly groaned. Erin would normally be the one to teach Aiko, but she was out. Plus, Erin was so stubborn and intolerant of nonsensical behavior, that Aiko naturally just did as she was told. Erin appeared to not have a breaking point, or at least show she did, so Aiko had no idea when she could stop. The rest of them, however, especially Kira, could not hide their inward groaning and impatience from the little girl.

Thus the mule wars began.

"You're such a spoilsport!" Aiko huffed.

Kira rolled her eyes, and moaned. "Princess Pufflewink can finish her tea party _after_ you learn how to use a sword decently."

It's _Princess Pufflestar_," Aiko huffed.

"Honestly," Kira muttered under her breath. "Whenever Erin is gone you act like such a child."

"I am a child!" Aiko said indignantly.

"You're spoiled," Kira retorted.

"Children should be!" the little girl turned her nose.

"Well when crunch time comes they end up being broken the hardest!" Kira stiffened as the words left her mouth. Both fell silent and Aiko stopped sulking. The small girl seemed a bit frailer as she approached Kira. Kira's rash words often gave an air of straightforward harshness.

"Kira," Aiko dared.

Kira looked sadly at Aiko. "I'm sorry I lost my temper," she pat her head gently and smiled. It was evident on the small girl's face she was sorry for what she did, whether she knew what she was sorry for or not. "But I promise I'll give Princess Pufflestar back for tea."

_You're pitiful. _Kira said to herself as she rubbed the small girl's head. _You had to go and dig up the memories again. You're not that same person anymore. Feya took you under her wing, remember? _Kira sighed as her hands dropped to her sides dejectedly, reminding herself the words she told herself when Feya took her out of her criminal acts.

_You can't change what you did. So you may as well bury those feelings where they can't hurt you anymore._

Feya had said she could change, and Kira believed it too; but something she could never get over was the reality of what she did. She couldn't forgive herself for what she did to those children, as painful as it was for herself, too, at the same time.

"Do we really have to fight Nikushimi?" Aiko asked, brown eyes showing her fear.

Kira knelt down so she was face to face with her. It was both sweet and sad how children showed their emotions so clearly. They were innocent, and didn't hide what they felt or what they did. They were honest and optimistic.

Kira once had those eyes.

"Yes," Kira squeezed her arm gently, a loving and reassuring gesture. "She's mad at Yubaba."

"Why is she mad at Yubaba?" Aiko's large brown eyes were inquisitive. "What did Yubaba do? Can't we talk to her and make her not angry?"

Kira's heart hurt more.

"No, sweetie," she said. It felt odd, using sweet, intimate nicknames like that. She'd abandoned them long ago, and became similar to Erin in that sense. It reminded you of how much that something or someone meant to you, and how sad you would be to lose them. "I wish we could, but Nikushimi just doesn't want to talk about it."

"Why not?" Aiko's pleading voice reminded Kira further of the pain she inflicted on small children Aiko's age long ago. "Why doesn't she want to talk about it?"

"Because she's blind, angry, and filled with hate, and darkness," Kira said sadly, and trying her best to continue keeping a reassuring smile for the young girl's sake. "Then people can start to love and be better people."

"Why is she filled with hate?" Aiko asked. "Can't we make it go away?"

Kira hugged the little girl tightly. "They just have to choose to make it go away," Kira said, trying her best to steady her somewhat faltering voice. "And it will be especially hard for her, because it's in her nature."

Kira slowly let go, and smiled again. Aiko's eyes lit up. "But when she does choose," Aiko's voice became more hopeful. "Will all the darkness leave her, and she'll be happy?"

Kira hesitated. Aiko's questions were not applicable only Nikushimi, but herself as well. At Kira's lack of an answer in the moment, Aiko, the child she was, asked another question that quickly came to her mind. "Do you and Haku, and Seiji, Kaito-onii, and Feya-nee really have to leave tomorrow?" Aiko asked.

"Yes, Aiko," She squeezed her nose and Aiko pried her hand off. "But we'll be back soon, I promise. You need to promise me you'll be good for Yubaba, Lin, and Bartholomew. They'll keep you safe."

"But I can take care of myself too," Aiko added.

"No you can't," Kira said, shaking her head. "You still need to practice with your sword. Then you'll be ready to help out."

Aiko obediently fetched her sword from the bench.

...

"Haku," Kaito said, somewhat feeling sorry for his friend. "We're leaving tomorrow morning. Calm down." The two stood stood in the open hallway overlooking the flooded landscape before them. Haku's arms were crossed and resting on the wooden plank as he leaned on it, deep in thought and hunched over. Kaito's elbows rested with his hands folded as he did the same.

Haku had been uneasy ever since that night where his heart felt as if it were on fire, about to explode, and as if his entire being were to disintegrate all at once. How he'd even managed to cast a spell, an uncontrolled, clumsy, shaky spell, but a casting spell nonetheless in that state amazed him.

_But what happened to Chihiro?_

He'd consulted the seer so many times even she became slowly became unwilling to answer his question any further. He'd tried searching his mind an analyzing himself, but it was still no good. He was obviously happy to see Chihiro again after all that time, and he'd tried his best to remain calm while casting the spell...

At the time he'd frantically tried to remember everything Erin had told him about anchors and their nature. When making one try to be as emotionless as possible, being objective, no distractions. He wasn't distracted; his mind was spinning at the fact that he had finally gotten to see Chihiro again, and she actually believed the Spirit World wasn't a figment of her imagination. Objective? Haku thought he was; after all he was making an anchor, and casting spells requires concentration...

And that left emotion.

Alright, Haku would admit he was happy, but that small bit of happiness couldn't have caused a reaction that large without Chihiro being in serious trouble. Another possibility was that Haku didn't realize that a small amount of damage to an anchor could be that detrimental. But Haku didn't think it was him not being pain tolerant or misjudging the amount of pain that came from it. Besides, Chihiro was a strong girl when he'd seen her again; she'd endured a lot of emotional pain, and all that was left was a physical predicament.

In his most recent visit to Sylvia, she discovered a weak link in Nikushimi's plan. Sylvia was able to discover an anxiety in Nikushimi, and being able to listen in on twenty seconds worth of conversation with her lieutenants revealing she was close to securing something by the end of next week, and her win was sure if she got her hands on whatever it was. Consequently, the group of twenty and thirty year old spirits and seventeen year old human made it their goal to prevent Nikushimi getting her hands on whatever she needed before the end of the week.

Thus the next few days were spent preparing for their journey. Food, sets of clothes, temporary and portable living arrangements, an attack and defend strategy, and an outline of a plan. The seer had said they would encounter a special set of events before they could even think of succeeding against Nikushimi. But like all of the seer's answers, the answers to their questions were found in a cryptic rhyme.

"Kaito," Haku began somewhat uneasily. "Can I ask you about the anchor Nikushimi wanted you to find?"

Kaito looked up and at his friend, hesitating before he said anything. "Sure."

"What did it look like?" Haku asked.

"It's not Erin's," Kaito said, assuring Haku. "If that's what you're wondering. When Erin knocked some sense into me, she told me about her own search and how her anchor was a rock the color of her eyes. The one I was supposed to be looking for was a gold ring. Nikushimi told me it looked like a wedding band from the human world."

"I see," the two stood in silence, and moments later Haku asked his second main question. "How has your search for her been going for her?" Haku and Kaito stood facing each other in the hallway as the moon slowly rose higher in the dark sky. Haku's expression was one of compassion and concern.

"Not very good," Kaito admitted. His own expression morphed into one Haku often had whenever he came back without any leads on Chihiro. "When we were traveling towards the slaughter of the alkalines, the night before we were to attack I overheard that Megumi was being transferred to the North-eastern citadel.

General Markovitch was present at the time and had declared it lights out. I couldn't sleep, and decided to wander around. As I neared the edge of camp, I overheard the Major and the first lieutenant talking. They said that Megumi was being transferred to a cell three days before. I was about to go back and think of a plan to get an assignment near there, but," Kaito hesitated and sighed. "But she'd somehow managed to escape from their grasp. They had no idea where she was, and Nikushimi's orders were to keep me busy until they tracked her down.

"And the next day, Erin saw you in your state, somehow got into your mind and made you see sense." Haku finished, feeling an overwhelming sense of compassion for Kaito.

"And she made me see sense," Kaito finished with a melancholy sigh. "So I don't know where she is. I haven't known where she is. For all I know, she's dead with Nikushimi."

"She's not," Haku said, resolutely and then added onto his quick attempt at reassuring his friend. "If she's with Nikushimi she can't possibly be dead. And besides, if she's with Nikushimi, she would have tried to use her to lure you to her by now, right?" Haku shook his head. Nikushimi still needed Kaito. If she killed Megumi, she can't use her against him, and Kaito was as far as they knew the only human that she has control over. Was it possible that Nikushimi abducted another child from the human world?

They had no idea. Kaito almost regretted leaving the dark side some days. It was sad, how in the Spirit World, Megumi was both his driving force and leverage at the same time.

At this, Kaito shook his head. "You're not listening. Nikushimi doesn't have her anymore. As time grew shorter when I was in her service, Nikushimi began dispatching other spirits to get it. It turns out she only wanted me in her service because I was a human. If the anchor happened to be in the human world, I wouldn't die off as easily as her spirit cronies would. She originally sent me to look for it as a method of psychological warfare." he gave another pained exhaled.

"Sorry to say it worked. I was scared because I didn't know what she would do with Megumi, other than kill her if I didn't do what she told me to do. Eventually other threats came to pass, and I'd become a decent fighter so she said to leave the grunt work of anchor searching to the lower ranks and had me fulfill a quota." He looked up at beacon of the moon. "Even if Nikushimi did find her, for all we know, Nikushimi's abducted another human child and killed Megumi." he sighed. "And even if she wasn't, I don't know where she is. I can have a childish hope that she somehow made it out of here alive, but since she knows nothing about this world," he sighed, expression indescribably sad. "All I can do is hope she hasn't disappeared yet."

"Kaito," Haku hated to press the matter more and make Kaito think about it longer, "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"It was two in the morning when I finished telling you how I got into the Spirit World and fell under the service of Nikushimi," Kaito raised an eyebrow. "And since then you've been so focused on grilling Sylvia details about Chihiro and sorting out your own feelings. I've been off settling minor disputes and doing small jobs for Yubaba in the meantime, and I never got to talk with you seriously for more ten interrupted minutes. At the end of the day, we're always so tired and crash to sleep. Then after things seemed to settle a bit, we found out Nikushimi's next step in her plan and events just went barreling faster."

Haku dropped the subject, and tried to formulate words to ask Kaito a question not relevant to anything but his curiosity.

"Haku, you look like to want to ask me a question, and if you don't get it out you're going to go crazy," Kaito's tone was flat and one eyebrow rose. "What is it?"

The question came fluidly, quickly, and Kaito felt like a boulder fell on his fragile bridge of mentality and stability.

"Kaito, what's Megumi like?"

It was interesting. Megumi was one of those indescribably wonderful people. The words 'kind' and 'gentle' could be used, but they didn't seem to do her justice. Feya, Kira, Aiko, Erin, Bartholomew, Lin, even Yubaba had asked him what this special girl was like. Now that Haku was back presumably for good (or at least a good long while) his curiosity finally had enough time to wander long enough to wonder about other things other than Chihiro.

Kaito told Haku what he'd eventually told the others.

"You're just going to have to imagine Feya's kindness, Aiko's innocence, Erin's rationality, Kira's ability to endure," he paused. "And someone as close to me as Chihiro is to you. That is Megumi." He closed his eyes, and the two let the cold wind of the night sift through their hair.

Haku stood dumbfounded. That must be one amazing person. Then a thought that made Haku's face go red entered. Kaito probably loved Megumi then. He probably loved her now. So if Kaito was saying Megumi was to him as Chihiro was to Haku himself...

"Come on," Kaito said, yawning and opening the sliding door behind them. The lights of the room shone on Haku's slightly flushed face, and he covered his eyes with his arm. Since the bathhouse uniform had many layers his face was able to hide in the shadows. "We'd best get some sleep. We leave at dawn."

* * *

After Chihiro got out of fourth period, she knew something was up when she saw Erin right outside the classroom door.

"Erin," Chihiro looked at her in surprise. "What are you doing here? Class just got out-"

"No time for that," Erin grabbed Chihiro's wrist and started walking faster that she usually did.

"Where are we going?" Chihiro tried to keep up, but Erin began walking faster than she thought was possible after seeing her speed up.

"I need to show you something," Erin said, sparing a look at Chihiro, and then around them. She began jogging towards the stairs leading to the roof, letting go. Chihiro had to legitimately sprint up the stairs to keep up.

"Erin, how do you know where the roof is?" Chihiro frowned. "I never got the chance to show you."

"Erin!" Chihiro looked horrified. It was her first day there and she was already skipping classes. Erin pushed open the door, and the sunny cloud-filled sky and wind welcomed them. Erin took a deep breath, and let the wind brush past her skin and hair. Chihiro did the same; it felt great.

"Now, Erin, what did you want to tell me?"

Erin stopped and turned to Chihiro, whose back was facing the door. "There was a boy I met earlier, he says his name is Yoshida Haruto," her eyes darkened. It reminded Chihiro of Erin's once-before serious demeanor, and made her realize that although Erin had changed quite a bit, years of living in the mentality and with the habits and personality she had would not be reversed over a summer, if they were possible to be reversed at all. "Are you sure Haku said Nikushimi recalled _all _of her henchmen? Was he acting strange when you were reconciling?"

Yoshida Haruto, Chihiro had seen him in a few of her classes, and did occasionally look up and around to find his gaze on her. However that eye contact was brief, and Chihiro had thought nothing of it.

In response to Erin's question, Chihiro nodded, and a part of her wondered why she used the word 'reconciling'. Chihiro went back to the matter at hand. "He did say all of her henchmen were recalled," Chihiro's lips went into a tight line. "Although he for some reason did get angry at me for the weirdest most pointless reason. He immediately apologized though, and I think he was slightly disoriented."

"Nejutso," Erin muttered. Her eyes narrowed, and her cold, serious, and now hardened angry expression fully formed. "He must have known, but how could he have forgotte-" Erin's eyes widened, and her head snapped up. She looked around, and Chihiro did the same. As they looked toward the very top of the building above the stairs, they saw a small figure dart away.

"I can't tell you now," she brushed past Chihiro's ear, and said quietly, "I'll tell you when we get home."

Somehow, Chihiro couldn't shake the feeling that that small figure was the boy from earlier.

…

Erin did not go to class after lunch. She left the roof so Chihiro would follow her, rather than staying up there with the wind to help her think better. Erin showed no facial indication that she was putting any thought towards the events that had played out. She hoped Chihiro wouldn't worry, and once the bell rang, Erin did not head for the gym after Chihiro was out of sight.

As her peers headed in her opposite direction, she waded through the students and towards the roof. Not a minute after Erin had opened the door, and taken a deep breath, Erin sensed a sinister presence.

The sky grew darker, and the winds became more erratic, blowing in all directions, leaving a piercing feeling on her skin. Her expression hardened lividly as her eyes fell on the one responsible.

The black haired, small boy sat on the roof and grinned. The facade was finally seen through, but it was already too late. "Hello, there, Erin," the very waves of his voice resonated with a loathsome feeling. The way he'd said her name mocked her younger self's foolishness, and it dripped with a disgusting, intimate familiarity. It resembled the typical evil stepmother in a fairy tale when speaking with her adopted daughter. His eyes glinted with a sense of glee. "It's been _such _a long time."

"I have no business with you, Nejutso," Erin spat, apoplectic, and Nejutso's eyes widened in mock surprise before his facetious, torturing, repulsive smile reappeared.

"I would have thought that your inactivity for revenge signified it was all water under the bridge," he laughed. It was despicable, hearing him laugh so mirthfully at Erin's grief from long ago. "Or is it perhaps a sign of weakness?"

That did it.

Despite Erin's maturity, normal self-control, calm, collected, straightforward cool-headed temperament, insulting Genesis' memory so wretchedly was just asking for a brutal wake-up call. She whipped out her senbon in a rapid, fluid motion, and Nejutso sprang from the roof as three senbon punctured the building where he sat. Wasting no time, Erin's other hand of senbon sliced through the air, lodging themselves in the ground where Nejutso had landed and again, had fled from.

Normally a cautious defense-only fighter, striking only when necessary, sparse when using weapons, had used all her shuriken and senbon in less than a minute. The minute felt like moments in her rage. Her shuriken pierced the walls where Nejutso fled to, one coming so close as to slice parts of his bangs off. Perfect amount of force, deadly if hit, but not one hit him. Eventually her senbon and shuriken were all lay sticking from the walls and in the floor.

When she did quickly run out, Nejutso held up his hands with a carefree, coy expression, clearly demonstrating that he was just teasing. It was cruel, making the death of her best friend an object of a dare to give into turbulent waves of emotion. Upon the sight of his continued scorn and contempt, she rushed forward. With a single kick off the roof's floor, she'd covered the seven foot distance and knocked the wind out of Nejutso; having jammed her knee into his chest, and dug the blunter edge of the two kunai into his neck without warning. Upon the rapid noise of flying metal and skidding shoes, some students that also skipped class froze in shock, awe, and horror as they peeked around the wall they'd been hiding. Hands covered open mouths, irises expanded, and trembling ensued from all but the two spirits.

"_Not another word,_" Erin hissed enraged, paying the ignorant teenagers no mind. Her face was inches away from Nejutso's, and her discolored hair framed her angular face. This time, Erin didn't bother hiding her dolor behind a wall of lackadaisical blankness. Her pupils were constricted, her eyes were wide, movements jerky yet effective. She was incensed yet grieving at the same time. The impassive wall had served as a dam, and it had finally crumbled."You will not speak another word so help me I will break your ribs and render your arms useless. Don't say _anything_."

Erin reduced the force of her knee on his chest ever so slightly, and Nejutso knew the threat was just to keep him at bay through psychological fear. He took advantage of the space Erin gave him and struggled to get air back into his lungs, but he remained on the ground. Erin would never harm someone if she didn't have to, she'd proven that clearly enough. He didn't get up because he was Nejutso. Not evil, nor good, but neutral, and he did not press it. He did was not on any side, but was simply a temptation. He dropped the sinister, bad-guy act. Erin was obviously very hurt by the remembrance of that experience, and Nejutso decided to stop tormenting her. It would only cause her more agony if he tried to push the boundaries, whether she knew he knew she'd never harm him unnecessarily or not.

The kunai felt like ice against his neck, and Erin slowly withdrew the weapons. Nejutso knew better than to run away, so as soon as Erin's knee left his chest, he stayed down. When Erin straightened up, her expression had calmed down to pure fury compared to her constricted eyes displaying pain, anger, and sadness all at once.

"You," Erin said shortly, almost snarling, to no student in the ditching group in particular. "Get to class." Nejutso was surprised; he hadn't even noticed the presence of the students with their backs against the gate of the roof. It appeared they'd hidden themselves behind the building at the first realization they might die at the hands of her weapons. With one last horrified, open-mouthed stare, they ran, fighting for the door. Once the door slammed shut, she allowed Nejutso to stand up.

"Tell me what Nikushimi sent you here to do and why she hasn't withdrawn you. I will pose further questions depending on your answers." She spoke bluntly, and it was evident her nonsense tolerance level was at zero.

Nejutso obediently spoke. His pride and the unspoken rules of captivity were in play. Erin did not kill him, and so he had to follow one of her requests; it was the law of unspoken captivity. Even though Erin didn't have the repulsive evil in her to slaughter him, much less before the audience present, his pride would not let him flee like a coward. Erin's eyes bore into the young spirit's eyes. Nejutso was twenty-four, and somehow managed to pass as a fifteen-year old human.

"Nikushimi requested that I interfere with whatever Kohaku's business for returning to the Spirit World was. Nikushimi did withdraw all her henchmen; but I'm a mercenary. Not her deputy to be ordered around like a dog. Even after she withdrew her henchmen, she asked me to continue my information gathering of Kohaku because she wondered why and what was so urgent for Yubaba to send her apprentice to the human world for," he stifled a smile. "And imagine my surprise that the task requiring immense effort, sacrifice of comforts, and incredible risk of death was to reconcile with a girl.

"But I did as she asked," he continued. "And interfered with his business."

Erin's glare seemed to sharpen, her fists clenched at her sides, and her feet threatened to step forward. "You messed around during his anchor spell?"

Nejutso held up his hands. "Not exactly, he was unstable on his own, so I just messed with his emotions a little afterward."

And then Erin did something surprising; she retracted. She moved her weight onto her back foot, even though her shoulders were tense. She retracted subtly, but he saw the skepticism in her lowered eyebrows, turned head, and eyes revealing a running mind. He could tell she was thinking up scenarios, possible motives, and was weighing her options.

_What a calculating girl. _He thought. When Erin's expression finally, and slowly, returned to a neutral state (or as neutral as it could be for someone like Erin), he continued his answer.

"As for withdrawing me," his tone of voice became much more casual. "I'm returning at the dusk of the equinox."

Erin's next question was immediate. "Why didn't she recall you at sunrise of the solstice?"

Nejutso shook his head and shook his finger. "Only one request, as the unspoken law says."

"I said I would ask further questions depending on your answers," Erin countered.

"The law doesn't account for that," Nejutso had the guts to allow the corners of his lips to pull up.

Erin swiftly withdrew her kunai again, her cold expression hardening. "Even if that were a valid argument, you're still not one to talk."

"Alright, alright, point taken," Nejutso conceded,, indifferent to her advantage. "She didn't recall me because she can't. Her reward for me was in exchange for messing with Kohaku's goals in returning to the human world. The contract never included being at her beck and call after the deed was done. I was free to do what I wished once I fulfilled my end of the deal."

"Why didn't you mention that earlier?" Erin's tone still was unrelenting, intense, and a clear warning if he were to lie.

"Because," he sighed. "You're threatening voice is successfully getting to me, thus clouding my mentality a bit. And I hate to admit it, but you are a bit scary."

Erin looked rather astonished, but her eyes returned to their fierce expression as quickly as they'd been taken by surprise. "Why did you stay in the human world then?"

"Because I wanted to see what was so special about the girl."

Erin's expression turned sharp again. She continued her catechizing."And?"

"You know," he said offhandedly. "You've become much more expressive through your eyes. Was it perhaps the work of that girl?"

Again, Erin was surprised at Nejutso's attentiveness to her. Her face became emotionless as she mentally rebuilt the barriers in her mind. "Probably, along with other factors. But answer my question. You wanted to know about Chihiro, and you're leaving on the equinox in three days. What does that mean?"

"It means I'm leaving in three days," he said simply.

"No," Erin said, pressing him for more. "What are you doing with whatever you've learned of Chihiro? Better yet, what did you learn about her, and what are you doing with that information? Did you do anything to her?"

Nejutso sighed, and it was clear that he was tired of being questioned. He nevertheless complied. "I've deemed her a regular, average person, she has a few skills, one being art, but overall, she's nothing special. I'm returning to the Spirit World with the information that Kohaku has taken an interest in a mundane human, and I'm going to go back living a normal life. No, I didn't not do anything to manipulate her, I didn't even approach her. I simply observed her daily school activity, and have now deemed her to be nothing special. Does that answer all your questions?"

"No," Erin said flatly, and Nejutso sighed in complaint with obvious annoyance. "Are you returning to the services of Nikushimi? Will you serve out Nikushimi's services later?" More questions entered her mind. "Do you know what her next course of action is? If so, what is it?"

"No," he said. "I'm going home and resting. Living in the human world is exhausting. As for carrying out her services, probably not. Her next course of action is to secure a human girl that is on the run in the Spirit World. When I left, she pretty angry that she got away from captivity. She always referred to her as the blessed child whenever she was in a good mood." he rolled his eyes and muttered after, "She always gives obscure names for her goals and people she needs."

This seemed to satisfy Erin for a bit. He saw her eyes widen, and her hand touched her chin and mouth in a thinking expression. Her eyes were focused and sharp. After a bit, her hand dropped, and she slowly spoke again. "Last question, will you abstain in the war?"

"Yes," Nejutso said boredly, thinking it to be a rather anticlimactic last question. "I'm not one for fighting." With that, he began walking towards the green door of the roof.

"Wait," Erin said, and Nejutso stopped moving walking, but he did not face her. "Why were you so kind as to only mess with Haku minimally? Why didn't you do anything to Chihiro? And why did you give full and complete answers to all my questions?"

With this, Nejutso turned, and she looked into his eyes.

"Would you believe me if I said I pitied them?" he spoke in the same indifferent manner as Erin did. "I'm not a bad person you know. I'm neutral; I do what I feel like."

Out of all the things she predicted he would say, she did not expect pity.

He continued with a disinterested breath. "I don't know why I pitied Kohaku. Especially in their sign of weakness and incredible vulnerability on that isolated hill; I don't know why, I just did. Why did I give you full, complete, and truthful answers? I dunno, I felt like it." Looking at her unchanging interrogating expression, he saw that his answer was not sufficient.

"The unspoken law and your pride account for your truthfulness," Erin eyed him suspiciously. "But is it possible that your pride is so unimaginably great that it also accounts for your full answers on the brink of nearly convincing me you may be turning on Nikushimi?" And as another somewhat painful thought entered her mind, she added, "And why haven't you tormented me further? You had all the means to do so and the law shouldn't interfere with it. Unless your pride really is foolish arrogance." She finished on a slightly unbelieving tone.

Her answer was not one he expected, and he chuckled a bit. It wasn't his previous tormenting chuckle, but just one of surprise. And so, he gave a reply in accordance. He turned his head to the door, getting ready to leave.

"I pity you."

And with this, he left a contemplating Erin on the roof, fully knowing she was done questioning him. He let the green door shut behind him, walked down the stairs, and down the white tile of the hall.

He knew that he tormented her, yes, to admittedly get a reaction out of her; but he didn't think she'd lose control like that. The knew that calling her lack of revenge weakness was her discretion and meekness, ultimately, maturity.

The fact that she was so expressive also meant she was slowly recovering from the blow of pain she suffered from the death of Genesis, the one who had held her anchor. He was her best friend, and they held each other's anchors when they left their home. They left with such an immovable resolve, too; they sought to bring hope to the village with none left.

He also knew that Erin's accuracy was flawless. If she really meant to pin down or kill him she could have done so with ease. Considering the fact that she allowed herself to nick off inches of his hair meant she had been indefinitely furious. But her first attack had surprised him, but after he thought about it, it made sense. She'd let him see the senbon for a split second so he could run. She continued to surprise him when her projectiles left less air between them, but Erin never allowed herself to hit him.

It was the same when she had him flat against the ground. Her slight reduce of force on his chest showed him that she gave something not many people gave him. It was something he'd never think anyone would show him with his jibes, mocking, sarcastic, and in some cases disrespectful attitude towards his enemies.

Erin had shown him grace.

In return he'd given her full answers and called it pity. He really had pitied her and her memories of Genesis though, but he had pity and something else; he didn't know what though. And he knew that Erin knew that he'd said 'thank you' in his own prideful way.

…

It that night as Chihiro and Erin ate dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Ogino while feeling like she had a family did Erin understand what Nejutso had meant by pitying her, and why he was so truthful and complete.

It was a thank you for not killing him, or even breaking his arms, legs, or even amputated one of his limbs. They both knew she had the capabilities. In fact, Erin was ashamed at her lack of control, and the fact that she went as far as to knock the wind out of him. She would never hurt someone unnecessarily. But and in return for that grace, she showed him, Nejutso helped her with her current goals. Not because he pitied her, and it wasn't even because he'd been a part of Genesis' death in the first place, though it was a part of it.

It was because the neutral spirit Nejutso had felt compassion.

…

Later that night, Erin had ignored Chihiro's pleas to quit skipping classes, and told her about the events of the day; going into detail regarding Nejutso.

It took her awhile, and by the time she had finished it was eight, two hours after dinner.

"You turned your weapons on Yoshida Haruto," Chihiro stated bluntly horrified. "In front of other kids, and you told them to scram and get back to class even though you were out of class yourself. Then you interrogated him and found out that Nikushimi is after my Kaito's best friend. And if that wasn't bad enough, Haku's anchor is unstable." Chihiro summed everything up. "How is it unstable?" she pointed to herself. "How am I unstable?"

Erin did not know how to answer that, and at her hesitation, Chihiro knew it was something big.

"Erin," she eyed the wind spirit. "How am I unstable?"

"You're not unstable," Erin said. "And, ah, it's not my place to tell."

And then Chihiro decided she would not quit asking Erin until she got a sufficient answer out of her. The fact that Erin made an "ah" sound meant she didn't know how to word it, and since she'd said "it's not my place to tell", it meant that it wasn't something immediately life threatening. But at the look that Erin had no intention of answering her, Chihiro asked another question that would hopefully answer it.

"The anchor owner can sense when the anchor is in danger," Chihiro began. "But can the anchor sense if the owner is in trouble?"

Erin nodded. "If the holder is a person, the anchor with vibrate, grow warmer, grow ice cold; it could be anything."

"Do certain things trigger certain reactions?"

Erin shook her head. "Not typically. Depending on the severity of either side's condition, the anchor or owner will feel the proportionate feeling. It's up to you and Haku to gauge and set the scale though. It's something he should have done before he left." Erin finished with an annoyed tone. "You and he will have to figure it out on your own."

* * *

Haku and Kaito had soon gone to sleep afterward, and on roughly five hours of sleep, woke up at dawn and roused the others. Once they finished eating a quick breakfast, Yubaba and Lin saw the ragtag expedition team off. Haku's face had a hardened, stuff expression. After all, it was critical to the bathhouse's safety.

"You sure you know where you're going?" Lin asked Haku cynically with a cocked eyebrow.

"Yes, I do," he said, returning with a slightly annoyed tone, and with it came a less hard and serious expression, and found himself smiling a bit.

He realized what she was doing, and he gave her a genuine smile. _Thanks_.

She gave a tilt of a nod, also with a knowing, almost motherly smile. _No problem._

Normally, she acted like the teasing, and chiding, older sister, but as she set the young spirits off she couldn't help but drop the careless act despite her faith in them. She wanted more than anything to see the kids come back safe and sound; mission objectives completed or not.

"And so we head for the Lombard mountains," Kaito said somewhat grimly, and Feya walked up to him and gave an encouraging nod with an ever so evident comforting smile. As soon as Haku had come back from the visit to the seer, he'd written down every word of her resonating message.

_Many will embark on a dangerous quest,_

_Failings, shortcomings, all put to the test._

_Truth and time walk hand in hand,_

_All who proceed have talents in demand._

_Hurt in adversity, hurt in love,_

_Hardship in experience is critical as well._

_For many of the hardest lessons,_

_Pain and affliction in them dwell._

_Tale of old, price more than gold,_

_A prince of long ago was bitter._

_All the greed, a selfish deed,_

_Even in sight of all he had received._

_Precious lost, precious cost,_

_Condemned to live alone and to plead._

_Most important is to put others more important,_

_Watched over and protected will you be._

_Accept the love of the one who gives freely,_

_And strength beyond yourselves is guaranteed._

It took them quite a while to try and decipher the seer's enigmatic message. It eventually all came down to being ready to be tested, to brace themselves for pain in experience, and putting others first. The rhyme unfortunately didn't tell them what Nikushimi was after, and none of them really understood why there was a verse mentioning the selfish old man. They knew it was important, but they had no idea what it meant, so for the moment they decided it meant "don't be selfish", and hoped it would become clear as their journey progressed.

That morning, Yubaba hadn't said much, but the stern yet apprehensive look on her face told them that she believed they could return with all objectives accomplished. Bartholomew set them off with a smile, and even little Aiko woke up early to say goodbye with a cheerful smile. She gave an especially long goodbye to Kira, warning her of any possible threat she could think of.

"Watch out for bear-dogs," Aiko said, continuing, "And the huge gorillas, and the plant piranhas,"

"We will, thanks, Aiko," she smiled and pat the small girl's head. She pat her head three times, and each time her hand softly landed on the girls soft black hair, Aiko blinked but said nothing. Kira found it adorable, but quickly retracted her hand. _Don't get mushy, kiddo. Not a good idea._

"And mosquitoes," Aiko quickly added; trying to think of more to say to prolong their departure. "And, and...and the electric tornadoes!"

"The what?" Kaito turned around with a very nonplussed look. His eyebrows furrowed, and his dark eyes focused on the small girl's face.

"They don't occur very often," Kira explained, getting into her routine niche of giving out accounts, details, and explanations. "But they're in a sense, electrical, hurricane-moist storms that travel like tornados. They only form under very specific circumstances; I believe warm, wet places. An electrical force needs to be present, and extreme wind." She wrapped up her textbook summary. "Which is why they're so rare. The only place that naturally has all those elements are the Barren Hills. They're on the northeast border of the warm, southeast alkaline plains," she ever so slightly hesitated, "on the southern edge of the swamps, and east of the Junichi Desert. If there happens to be a thunderstorm, an electric tornado can form."

Aiko seemed to pale at the mentioning of her own "threat", and Kira smiled and pat her head one last time. "Don't worry kiddo, I think there's only been two in the history of the Spirit World, and they were always around the spring equinox. We should be fine."

After all, if they didn't learn the lessons she warned they'd have to learn, they couldn't count on being ready for Nikushimi. Speaking of the seer, Sylvia had come to wish them off as well, and offered them one last piece of advice.

"You must not stray from the objective," she warned. "You only have a week. Head for the Lombard Mountains and prevent Nikushimi from getting her hands on what she wants. If you are distracted, and if you do not know your own heart and admit your faults, you will not succeed." She said it with such a straightforward bluntness that rendered everyone speechless.

She continued to say that the stanzas were more ambiguous than they already seemed. Meanings were sometimes, but not often to be taken literally; whatever said may be a hint of what was to come, a warning, a fact of life, or even two or three things at the same time.

With a cloudy road ahead of them, the four spirits and the human shouldered their bags, and gripped their hangliders. Boots, coats, thick pants, and gloves were insisted upon and given by Zeniba. They gratefully accepted, and were especially thankful for them that morning. It was a chilly, cold, yet glaringly sunny dawn. On three, the group ran off the landing, and with one encouraging, powerful spell from Yubaba, they sailed on a mixture of her false wind and the natural air current over the giant body of water before them.

After they had stabilized themselves, the five shared apprehensive and supportive grins as they glanced over at one another. Their formation was well in order, almost instinct as Yubaba had them work together on particularly difficult missions over the past years. Only Haku remained in front, his eyes trained on the horizon. Nikushimi's forces were growing stronger, and if they didn't stop Nikushimi's next step in her plan, they wouldn't stand a chance.

They had to succeed.

* * *

The next few days Chihiro could tell Erin was on edge. She was looking around, glancing in all directions and utilized any reflective surface to its full potential.

"Erin," Hana's tone made it clear she demanded an answer rather than requested one. They sat in a circle at lunch, and Erin was sitting with a rather antsy air about her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, looking up, and allowed herself to take a bite of her bento. They were twenty minutes into lunch and Erin had not yet finished half her lunch.

Airi looked at Chihiro pointedly; seeming to ask her if this was the same Erin who ate five bowls of rice and meat at dinner. If this was the same girl that would drink three bowls of soup and eat two fried fish in a little under ten minutes.

"You sure?" Hana asked, also raising her eyebrow. "When we had picnics over the summer you gobbled up your food in five minutes, and then broke into whatever you brought along for a snack."

"I suppose I've just lost my appetite a bit," Erin responded fluidly, nodding.

"For a week and a day?" Airi's eyebrow rose. Silence followed, and the two girls glanced at Chihiro. Erin took another bite of rice, and Chihiro shook her head, trying to give her friends a reassuring smile. _It's fine._

Or at least that was what she hoped they'd gotten from her quick shake of the head.

Even after school, Erin was glancing around, cautious and wary of everyone but Hana and Airi until they boarded the bus.

"Alright Erin," Chihiro placed a hand on her hip. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Erin asked. She didn't look like she was hiding anything; she wasn't one to lie. If she didn't want to tell you something, she would put up a mask of indifference and not answer you.

"I know it's besides the lack of the school's confrontation about your incident a few days ago," Chihiro said lowly, glancing around herself. "I have a feeling that there's something more than what you've told me. What is it?"

"The equinox is in two days."

This wasn't really a subject Chihiro was expecting. "What do you mean?" she asked. "What about it? I've got the resignation papers all ready and filled out. The letter from your parents is taken care of, too, if that's what you mean." It had taken a while for Chihiro to think up a complex enough story plausible to her parents and at the same time able to be used with the school.

Erin shook her head. "That's not what I meant. I'm leaving in _two days_. I know Nejutso is going back to the Spirit World, but what if Nikushimi sends out spirits? Now that Nejutso is going back to the Spirit World, what if he tells Nikushimi that the anchor is in the human world? Will he tell her that the anchor is unstable? How will she attack Haku in response to this?" she looked at Chihiro. "What about you?"

Chihiro closed her mouth, not having an answer. Even without a change in tone or expression, it had hit Chihiro a lot harder than the other rhetorical questions she had rapidly fired off.

"Well that's why I'm not going to stay here," Chihiro recovered, realizing what she had to do. She gave her response rather blankly. She always knew she was going with Erin back to the Spirit World, but somehow, she'd lost track of time after her world had become brighter, more colorful, and stayed that way. She continued with a perplexed tone, "I thought you knew I was coming with you."

"No you're not," Erin said quickly, tone insistent, but her eyes were not hard.

Chihiro's eyebrows furrowed, now truly confused. "Yes, I am."

"No," Erin looked into Chihiro's eyes, her gaze still lacked a hard look. "You're not. You need to stay here in your world."

"I, I want to help," Chihiro protested. She couldn't believe that Erin was going to deny her this.

Erin shook her head. "The gesture is kind, Chihiro, but I can't let you do this. It'd be safer if you stayed here, and the last thing Haku needs is an anchor in danger. If you come in at the equinox, just think of the commotion that will cause for your parents. And besides, I'm already in enough trouble with your school as it is. They'll eventually learn I pulled weapons on a student, even if the student was Nejutso, who is also uncannily leaving on the equinox. Other students had been ditching on the roof like me. They'd like nothing more than for me to be gone. Besides," she gave Chihiro with such a look of kindness and compassion she'd never seen before. "Haven't you been looking forward to this trip the entire year?"

Chihiro for the second time in five minutes closed her mouth at a loss for words. She hated the fact that she could see Haku in a matter of days, but had to pass it up for safety. All she could do was trust that they would succeed, and wait patiently there.

"Fine," Chihiro finally conceded, regretfully. "But if anything changes, if I feel that anything is wrong, I'm coming with you." she held out her hand. "I'll drop the subject, and not come with you as long as long as the anchor doesn't do anything to even give me the idea that Haku is in trouble. Deal?"

Erin sighed, pondered this for a moment, and slowly shook Chihiro's hand.

"Alright," she eyed her. "Deal."

* * *

The way their journey began, Haku could tell it wouldn't be the most pleasant. Once they reached 500 yards beyond the bathhouse, they'd realized they missed a turn. So for the moment, they sat down and stayed stationary while they tried to figure out a plan.

Kaito was as unmotivated as could be, Feya was trying her best to help solve the problem, but it wasn't working, and her continuous murmuring was beginning to drive Haku crazy. Seiji was off to the right, doing his own thing, and Kira had been behind in one of her moods, and Haku thought he'd had enough to worry about.

"Well, do you remember the location spell, Feya?" Haku asked again. He didn't have any other ideas, and them thinking to themselves in silence wasn't helping any of their nerves.

"No, unfortunately." She shook her head.

"From the humid, hot, and muggy air," Kira was leaning on a tree in the shadows of the treetop canopy. "I'd say we've been traveling east five hundred miles too far." She broke open her canteen. Sudden crunching came from the right, and when all eyes turned to the source, they found Seiji to have been rolling a fair sized tree trunk toward them. Twigs snapped underneath the weight of the log that was rolled over them.

"What're you doing?" Kaito asked from where he sat in the tree.

"I'm trying to create a makeshift raft." Seiji said, not looking up. "Haku, can you slice this?"

Haku frowned, and stared at the log. "I think so," he stepped in front of the log and everyone stepped back as he began to hold his hands up. "Or, at least in theory. Yubaba didn't teach me anything specific."

He tried using the roots, prefix, and only until he added on a suffix to the end of his experimental spell did the log wobble unsteadily, and then split into two with a slicing sound.

The log didn't split evenly. It went through straight; but at a slight angle, and one could tell the two sides were lopsided.

"Sorry, they're not even," Haku apologized, staring at his empirical work.

"It'll do," Seiji examined it for a moment. "Now that I know this'll work, I need you to help me get more logs. Kaito," he turned to the figure in the tree, finding him to by lying down on a branch. Kaito twisted himself upward and met their gazes. "I need to see if you have the physical capabilities to do what Haku did."

"Split the log?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you need a raft?"

"We need a flying raft," he replied in the nonchalant manner again. "Haku, do you have enough strength and stamina to make it fly?"

"I should," he nodded, looking at his calloused, pale, sweaty hands. The longer he looked, the more he realized they were shaking.

"Good," Seiji said with an even tone despite the beads of sweat on his head. They all wiped their brows periodically; the sweat dripped of their foreheads in the humidity. He continued walking towards an area more thickly packed with trees. "Feya, stay here with Kaito. Kira, come with Haku and I. We're going to need your help if we run into any of Nikushimi's rodents."

Even though Seiji was not the formal leader, Haku complied. He currently wasn't able to think clearly in the humid head, and if Seiji had a plan, he wasn't going to go against it.

…

After much dragging, tying, scraping of shins and knees, the small team of spirits and human assembled a flying raft satisfactory enough to Seiji.

The rest of the fallen trunks were split by Kaito, far more evenly than Haku's first attempt; and the and Seiji's large roll of twine was now gone and used on the makeshift platform. By the time they had finished this, half a day was gone, and only six and a half days remained.

"Alright," Haku wiped his brow, and everyone was sitting down and propped up against tree trunks. "Everyone should get on about now."

Slowly and tiredly, they picked themselves up, trying not to drag their folded hangliders from the trunks they rested on. They took a few steps to the medium sized platform, and sat down again, throwing the hangliders into a messy heap in the middle.

"Feya," he turned to the least directionally challenged person on the team. "Do you know where we are?"

"Kind of," she said, peering over as much as she dared off the flying raft. "We're some bit west from where the alkalines used to thrive. Regarding our goals, I think we're a bit southeast from where we need to be." She pointed to a waterfalled cliff, it seemed so small from where they were. Small flecks of reflected light could be made out against the black rocks of the mountains. "See that cliff? We have to get there by the end of the day if we want to make it to the Lombard mountains. Not to mention we still need to find out what it is Nikushimi is looking for."

"Well," Haku said, his sore muscles seemed to cry in protest as he lifted his hands up yet again, a motion his body had learned to both appreciate and dread. He spoke the words, and the spell came into effect. Haku immediately felt energy drain from him, and fresh beads of sweat slid down the sides of his head. "We'd best get going before-"

His words were interrupted as a cylindrical storm of blackness alerted it's presence when its enormity overshadowed them, and with the screams that erupted from it as it tore through everything in its path.

* * *

Chihiro awoke with a start in cold sweat. Her palms were sweaty, and at her waking, her face filled with hot with blood rush. Her muscles had tensed, and it took effort to calm them down. Even a good amount of time after she woke up, her heart still beat furiously in an anxious, almost frightened manner.

"Erin," Chihiro whispered to her right, still trembling as she peered at her friend sleeping in the futon on the air mattress. "Erin!"

Erin showed no sign of stirring, so Chihiro decided to shake her a bit. Her arm emerged from underneath the warm, red comforters, and approached Erin's shoulder. Only a moment after Chihiro's hand grasped Erin's shirt did her sharp, green eyes fly open. Instinctively, Erin's right arm gripped Chihiro's wrist, and she let go with a yelp.

"Oh, sorry, Chihiro," Erin rubbed her eye. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I, I woke up sweating," Chihiro held up and looked at her palms. The shaking had calmed down significantly, but it was still evident they were quivering. "I-my heart was pounding, like I was scared, I wasn't dreaming. I just woke up in cold sweat and-"

Chihiro noticed Erin's eyes were staring at Chihiro's hands, but once they looked up, her green irises became alarmed as they locked onto Chihiro's necklace.

Chihiro had no time to ask what was wrong as she saw that the place under her chin was glowing with a blue-green light. The dull glow sharpened and became considerably brighter, as if a cloth had been removed from the bulb of a flashlight. Chihiro tried to pick it up, but once her pale hands touched the dragon charm, it sent a shock through her arm. It didn't shock her body, but it lay fixed at her collarbone even if Chihiro swayed back and forth. The light continued to illuminate her dark, moonlight bedroom, but in an instant, it vanished.

Moments passed after the light faded.

"Erin-"

"You should go back to bed Chihiro," Erin began to re-situate herself under the covers of her futon. Chihiro couldn't believe it. She was going back to _sleep!?_

"Chihiro," Erin said sternly. "It would be best for you to calm down right now, and go back to sleep, alright?" she turned her head to meet her brown eyes. "He should be fine, but you staying calm and collected will help his mentality on the other side of the anchor, alright?"

Uneasily, Chihiro tried and succeeded in falling back into a relatively peaceful slumber. Erin lay quietly with her eyes closed, but very much awake. She'd never read or seen any anchor signal like that before.

She had to think.

…

As expected, the events of early that morning had not been off her mind once, much less had gone away. Chihiro couldn't focus at all. Math was a series of mumbled numbers, functions, and variables, and English had been a passage of murmured words.

"I'm fine, trust me!" Chihiro had smiled really big at nutrition, quickly have been jerked out of her thoughts. Erin winced a bit. It was obvious to her that her mind was still heavily latched onto the events of early that morning, but to the concerned Hana and Airi, she was just off in her own little world.

Chihiro walked with Erin to third period, and Chihiro sat in her seat by the window slowly. Erin eyed her and then proceeded to take her seat across the room with Airi. The first half of science was a plant diagram and some vocabulary she couldn't remember.

"Chihiro," the teacher had barked, and Chihiro less than subtly snapped into the present. "Why do plant cells need both the chloroplast and mitochondria?"

"Er," Chihiro racked her brain. She'd gone ahead in the book with Erin the night before, so she knew the information lay somewhere in her brain. "Plant cells need both mitochondria and chloroplasts because..." _Endosymbiotic theory, needs both sources of energy, photosynthesis..._ "It needs both the mitochondria and chloroplasts because at night, the non-cyclic cycle comes into play because it needs to make energy when there is no light able to be used for photosynthesis."

"And why can't it just make enough energy during the day to sustain itself through the night?" He continued.

"Because," Chihiro once again searched her brain for any information. _ATP...What do I know about ATP... _"Because ATP only lasts for roughly forty-five minutes."

"Very good," he nodded, satisfied with her answer. Chihiro breathed a sigh of relief. Her gaze looked back up to the board, and her eyes briefly met with Kyoya's, who had turned around. They grinned at each other, and as Chihiro's mind began to wander again, she was sharply brought to her senses by the burning feeling on her neck.

_Aurgh!_ Chihiro bit back a scream as she quickly hunched over. She slowly pressed her cold fingers against her skin. What _was _that!?

She didn't need to look down to know that it was the anchor. The dragon itself was radiating a layer of heat. After a moment, the anchor suddenly became very heavy, and the heat left it within the second. Chihiro's heart raced with panic, and her shaking fingers gingerly tapped the silver dragon, and her heart fell into her stomach. The anchor had become ice cold, and as Chihiro cupped it in her hands, her hands began dripping with water as she realized a thin layer of frost was forming around it. The boy next to her realized that something was very wrong with her necklace, and raised his hand, wondering why Chihiro hadn't done so herself already. But once he did this, the anchor returned to it's normal state only for half a second before it began vibrating furiously. The boy's eyes widened even more as the necklace continued it's supernatural behavior.

"Yes, what is it Tsukimori?" The teacher looked over from the blackboard, and the boy was jarred out of his shock. By now, Erin, Airi, and Kyoya had realized something had happened to Chihiro, and as they turned their heads, Erin felt that Chihiro couldn't draw any more suspicion to herself. If the class wasn't already staring in wonder and confusion, the dragon began to shine from the inside out as it had in the middle of the night. Moments later, it became a beacon of light; a blazing, glowing sphere enveloped the dragon, and it began to float.

By now, absolutely everyone in the classroom went still, gawking in surprise and fear, when a second later the light faded, and it fell back onto Chihiro's neck, a blazing silver, and a clear indent across the dragon's torso.

"Excuse us, Morishita-sensei," Erin had leaped out of her chair with a stern, hard look, but panic was evident in her eyes. She made no eye contact with the teacher as she jumped out of her chair. As soon as the first words had left her lips, Chihiro had also jumped out of her chair, and began walking as quickly as she could, going across the back of the classroom to the back door with Erin.

"No," the teacher said in shocked disbelief. "You may not-"

The door slammed shut, Erin and Chihiro stared at each other with wide eyes, and the sprinted to the roof.

"Chihiro," Erin's eyes were wide and her pupils constricted. "What _was that!?_"

"You mean you don't know!?" Chihiro's heartbeat quickened considerably as an even firmer wave of panic embedded itself in her voice. Her hands flew to her head. They always habit of doing so when she was in a confused frenzy.

"I mean, a reaction that large has never, I mean it's _never_, happened before in the history of anchors, Chihiro," Erin's clear eyes displayed a true sense of alarm and bewilderment. "And look," she said sharply, walking over, "the dragon has a new indentation!"

Chihiro snatched up her anchor, and strained her eyes to look down at the dragon due to the chain's shorter length.

"Never, not _ever _in the history I've read about," Erin began pacing with large, powerful steps across the roof. "If the anchor grows warm it means they're cut and bleeding, frost means they're conscious, light means whatever happened was intense, and the amount of light shows it on a spectrum of how severe..."

"It was vibrating, too," Chihiro said, still trembling with apprehension and worry for Haku.

Erin paled. "Vibrations mean a storm. I don't understand this."

"I need to go to the Spirit World with you now," Chihiro said, trying to fill the silence. It also meant she would also miss the trip. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the thought. Haku was in danger and she was thinking about her art? That wasn't right...she wanted to go so badly as well...but it just wasn't right. She had to go help save Haku in whatever trouble he was in. And besides, she mentally slapped herself harder than she ever had before. Hadn't she been so excited about getting to go on the trip? Now she felt horrible; torn between duty and what her dreams had amounted to.

"You'll have to," Erin agreed grimly. "But right now we need to get you to the nurse. Say you're sick, and your parents can come get you. Once you're in your room, start packing."

"What about you?" Chihiro reached for the green roof door. "The whole school is going to-"

"I think," Erin said dourly. "That it's time for me to mysteriously disappear. I'll pick up your sketchbook from the Art room, I have a feeling you're going to want it. I'll turn in my resignation form and the letter to the school tomorrow morning. They can't interrogate me further because I'm on a plane back to Europe, and you," she looked at Chihiro, and opened the door. "You need to spend today and tomorrow packing clothes, food, water, and get your mind in the right mentality. I'll stay one more night before I turn in the resignation letter. I'll drop by a couple hours before sunset on the equinox to get my weapons and we'll get to the gateway. Understood?"

Chihiro finished the plan in her mind. She'd tell the school that she couldn't go on the trip tomorrow morning. The morning if the equinox, she would leave by herself (Erin would be "gone" by tomorrow), and leave the window unlocked. She'd shove the suitcase back up in her room and into her closet with Erin's help through the open window, and lock it on her way out. Then Chihiro would check in, saying she got on the bus. Then she would enter into the Spirit World that evening with Erin, and once they defeated Nikushimi on the solstice, Chihiro would be back in time as her schoolmates would return that afternoon. She'd figure out everything else on the way.

Chihiro could only nod as Erin walked through the open door, and Chihiro followed suit.

…

Erin and Chihiro proceeded to the nurse's office, and Erin called Chihiro's mom at work. She wasn't mad or exasperated at all. They waited for a while, and Chihiro's mom picked her up. Of course, Erin didn't go to History, there was only fifteen minutes left anyway. Instead, she proceeded to walk towards the art room. She wasn't sure why, but she had a feeling that Chihiro would need something to take her mind off of everything that happened, and Erin was pretty sure that there weren't any sketchbooks in the Spirit World.

She hid behind a corner until the lunch bell rang ten minutes later, and once the classroom had cleared, Erin walked in.

"Hello, you're Erin, right?" Suzuki-sensei smiled, and then her smile toned down to a soft, worried look. "I heard about the supernatural commotion in third period."

Erin's heartbeat instantly sped up, and she was rendered speechless.

"It's alright," she gave a warm, knowing smile. "I believe you and Chihiro have things to do, right? Her sketchbook is on the third back table to the right. She's quite the talented student. You should take a look at her sketches in the back; they're quite, unique."

"Thank you," she quickly walked over to the table and located the green sketchbook under the piles of others. _Unique_. Erin repeated to herself, and made a mental note to look through them later.

She was about to walk out of the room when she and Suzuki made eye contact one last time. Her last statement sent a chill and a freeze through Erin, who dashed out of the classroom after.

"Say hello to Sylvia for me, will you?"

...

It was about one o'clock when Chihiro got home, and she went straight to bed without lunch. Despite her increasing hunger, she suppressed it and proceeded to pack a share of clothes. She knew she only needed one, and would have to change into Spirit World clothes later, but she packed a few changes of clothes anyway. She packed pencils, a sharpener, and eraser, too; Erin would be bringing her sketchbook and she had begun dreading weekends a little when she had to part with it. She brought other things she might need as well, popping in and out of the garage, peering over the hall corner to make sure her mother was still typing in the office. In her ivory tote bag, she fit two changes of clothes, her drawing things, rope, a Swiss army knife, flashlight, a waterproof picnic blanket, and a regular blanket. She "packed up" "Erin's clothes" from "her suitcase" back into Chihiro's closet. She gathered Erin's weapons into a semi-neat pile on her desk, and actually decided to get some sleep. She'd do the water and food tomorrow.

No less than ten minutes after Chihiro climbed into bed (she may as well get some extra sleep while she could), did her mom come knocking and peering through the door saying it was time for dinner, and that Erin came back home with her sketchbook.

The next two days passed quickly, and the equinox had come.

…

The day passed quickly. For some reason, she felt the need to say goodbye to Shizuku-sensei. She and Shizuku-sensei did not speak much as they usually did, but she smiled, and her teacher wished her the best on her adventure. Chihiro had furrowed her eyebrows, but she didn't pay much attention to it.

She still had to kill the rest of the day, so she decided to have some ramen. In her mind, she was running plans through, and doing her best to conjour up as many realistic scenarios she could. Well, as realistic as things could be in the Spirit World. Because of that, most of her scenarios were as to how she'd react when she saw Haku again. And Yubaba, Lin, Zeniba, and the rest of the new recruits of course, but mainly she thought about her reunion with Haku. Chihiro shoveled a large mouthful of noodles into her mouth with her chopsticks, and munched heavily. She'd felt very sad when he'd left. She often found herself dismally gazing into the sky, imagining he was flying again.

On another note, she wasn't sure why Erin didn't want to spend the day with her. Not that she minded, she enjoyed and needed her alone time to think. Around one, she boarded the bus again, simply staring out the window indifferently, and delicately fingered the dragon. She figured she could go visit Haku's river before she saw him in the Spirit World.

She silently trekked up the hill and to the river, smiling a little when she saw it. She ran over, and went on her knees, plunging her hands into the cold water. She let it flow past her forearm, and stretched her arms farther in, and her upper arms were submerged in the river as well. The sensation was so wonderful that the cold didn't matter.

Chihiro spent two hours like this, sticking her feet, ankles, arms, and her face in the almost freezing water. Chihiro thought she was sure to get a cold, but she hadn't been able to visit the river much since Erin had arrived. _It doesn't matter,_ Chihiro grinned as she slipped her calves into the water. The wind bit at her wet arms, and she shivered.

Soon, the sun had grown dangerously close to the horizon, and Chihiro had to sprint from the bus back home. Luckily, Erin had just arrived herself, (oddly not punctual, but Chihiro didn't think of it any at the time) and the two retrieved their things from Chihiro's bedroom. Then back to the bus, they sprinted to the red gateway, and the sun touched the horizon like a tangent.

"We got everything?" Chihiro huffed as they reached the top of the hill, and went through the gate.

"Too late now," Erin said, huffing herself. "Come on, let's go."

As they crossed the bedrock of the dried river, the two saw Yoshida Haruto. They bounded up the steps, and realized why he hadn't entered yet. There was no bridge into the forest yet.

"Nejutso," Erin acknowledged him. He gave a slight nod in return, barely acknowledged Chihiro with a quick look, and resumed his gazing into the dense forest.

They stood there in silence and apprehension, anticipating what may await them on the other side. Suddenly, the world blurred, and Chihiro felt like she was swept away with an exceptionally powerful gust of wind. Her head began to pound, and she stumbled away from Erin and Nejutso, who had remained still with their eyes shut. She staggered over to the red, cracked, clay pillars of the gateway, and she let it support all her weight. She shut her eyes tightly, willing as much as she could for the agonizing headache and lightheaded feeling to leave her. Once the dizziness faded and the wind died down, the wooden bridge leading into the swamp had appeared.

"Well, I guess it's time," Chihiro shook a little in nervousness.

"Yep," Erin said firmly, and began to take a step. "Let's go-"

"Chihiro, wait!"

Chihiro spun around at the abrupt yelling of her name. Erin did the same, and Nejutso continued walking along the bridge. Chihiro's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open.

"Chihiro, I knew something was wrong with this gate!" Kyoya was bounding across the dry bedrock and up the steps. Erin wrinkled her nose. She obviously didn't like the way Kyoya described the Spirit World gateway. "What are you doing? Are you going in?"

"Ah," Chihiro blinked, and tried to stall. "Um, I-"

"I was wondering when you'd get here," was Erin's easy, impassive reply. She turned to Chihiro, "I was talking with him while you were sick at home, and then today to see if he really wanted to come." Erin glanced over at Chihiro while she looked pointedly at Kyoya, and sighed a little. "It appears he's dead set on it. Are you prepared?"

He nodded, coming up the steps himself, and Chihiro noticed he was holding a sack as well. She opened her mouth, "You mean you know-"

"It's where my brother disappeared off to, after all." He said hollowly. "I'm not stupid either, and I pay attention. Gateways don't just appear four days of the year, and then disappear again."

Chihiro bit her lip, and slowly nodded. "I guess Erin prepped you yesterday?"

He nodded. "It's my first time going in."

"I hope not your last," Chihiro finished, and looked homeward wistfully. "It's a nice place when it's normal."

"We need to get going," Erin warned, bringing their attention to the setting sun. "We have approximately three minutes. We need to run through to make sure we're not left behind when the bridge starts to disappear."

With that, Erin stalked down the bridge, and Kyoya silently followed. Chihiro turned around, and looked through the gateway one more time.

_Bye mom; bye, dad,_ Chihiro thought, and smiled with a few tears at the edges of her eyes. Chihiro broke into a confident, determined run after Erin and Kyoya.

_I promise I'll be back soon._

* * *

**Again, I want to thank everyone for their reviews. The support has been encouraging!**


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